
Actor says Irish Navy should bring aid to Gaza
Mr Cunningham attended the launch of a small vessel carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza in Italy last Sunday.
Climate campaigner Greta Thunberg is part of the 12-person team onboard the Madleen.
Mr Cunningham said it was never intended that he would be on the boat, given its small size, and said it was; "loaded with the stuff that the Tel Aviv regime will not allow into Gaza. So, it's got crutches, it's got antibiotics, baby formula, it's even got a 3D-printed prosthetic baby's arm."
He said he believed a flotilla of Irish Naval vessels should be bringing aid to Gaza, given Ireland's obligations under International Law.
"The Geneva Convention says that at the sight of a genocide, it is beholden to signatories to the Geneva Conventions to intervene."
Under Article I of the Geneva Convention, which Ireland has ratified, there is an obligation to prevent and punish genocide where it occurs.
Mr Cunningham was speaking at the launch of a pamphlet - 'Defending Irish Neutrality' - by People Before Profit.
People Before Profit is calling on the public to attend a demonstration by the Irish Neutrality League on Saturday 14 June to save the Triple Lock.
Dublin South West TD Paul Murphy said he believed the majority of Irish people did not want the dilution of neutrality, which he said would be caused by the removal of the Triple Lock.
"I don't trust Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to send troops abroad wherever they want. I think the majority of people in this country don't [trust them]. I precisely want to tie their hands. I want to have a political straitjacket. I wanted to know in future that they will not be able to send troops abroad unless they are genuine peacekeeping missions. And that's what the Triple Lock guarantees, and that's what the Government is trying to get rid of."
The Government wants to revise the Triple Lock so that the UN no longer has a role in mandating Irish troops to serve in overseas missions.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Irish Sun
6 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
I will ‘definitely not' run for presidency, says Taoiseach Micheal Martin as he discusses National Development Plan
TAOISEACH Michael Martin has said he will "definitely not" run for Irish presidency this year. Speaking to Morning Ireland Advertisement 2 Minister Peter Burke has been calling to cut VAT rate for the hospitality sector Credit: � 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved Mr Martin said he was elected to "lead And an Asked if he would consider putting his name forward, Advertisement Read more in News "I have that obligation to the public. No disrespect to the presidency, but I gave commitments to the people that I will serve for the next five years and that's what I'm going to." There are a lot of names floating in association with Fianna Fiall in He added: "Party will consider that over the next number of weeks." Mr Martin also discussed the revised version of NDP which was announced yesterday with a total investment of €275.4 billion. Advertisement Most read in Irish News Latest It adds more than €40 billion for housing and water services, €22.3 billion for It also cited €2 billion to be delivered to Tetchy scenes in Dail as Micheal Martin accused of calling Mary Lou McDonald liar in Irish Mr Martin has explained that the money allocated to the NDP investments in the public sector comes from the government's projections of surpluses over the next number of years. He continued: "There is the additionality of €14 billion from the receipts from Advertisement "Now allocations have come from, it would be specifically dedicated to the metro which is clearly a climate infrastructural piece, because obviously the more people we can get on public transport the better in terms of climate. "I can't see KEY PRIORITIES The Government also promised to cut the VAT rate for the hospitality sector in the Mr Martin added: "Nothing yet is finalised in terms of the budget. Advertisement "We will be prioritising disability and we will be prioritising child poverty. "We will be targeting our measures and social protection to those most." Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke has been calling to cut VAT rate for the hospitality sector. The Minister said the cut is a "jobs measure to sustain employment" in the sector. Advertisement Speaking on RTE's "At this point in time, over 200,000 people are employed in it. It's a €9 billion sector. And it's so important to try and keep that sector sustainable. 'VIABILITY MEASURE' "This is a jobs measure to sustain the employment in that sector, which is critically important to me as Minister for "It is a viability measure, they are under significant pressure." Advertisement Mr Burke added: "We've had a lot of additionality from government, part of it over the last three years, in terms of regulatory requirements in the trajectory to a living wage and sick pay in so many areas that have put significant pressure on the sector and have reduced their margins. "We've pushed 90,000 jobs into the economy over the last 12 months. "And considering when we're at or about full employment, to put 90,000 extra households with additional income into them with more jobs is very significant." 2 Michael Martin has said he will 'definitely not' run for Irish presidency this year Credit: Collins Photos Advertisement


Extra.ie
6 minutes ago
- Extra.ie
Health Insurance That Won't Ghost You! Enter Level Health
Let's be honest: traditional health insurance can feel a bit like that one person who's charming over text but vanishes the second you actually need them. You try to reach out, you wait, you wonder if you've done something wrong… but really, it's just not you – it's them! That's where Level Health comes in. Ireland's newest health insurer has officially entered the chat and it's here to change the game. Think real support, simplified plans, and round-the-clock access to actual medical professionals. No ghosts. No hold music. No unnecessary stress. One of the standout features of Level Health is their QuickClinic, which basically gives you 24/7 access to Irish-based doctors, midwives, mental health professionals, physiotherapists and more anytime, anywhere… No appointment needed! Whether it's 3am, 11am or just one of those weird in-between times where you're not sure if it's too late or too early, QuickClinic is open. You can WhatsApp or jump on a video call with a doctor, or message a midwife or mental health professional while you're still in your pjs. You don't have to rearrange your entire life to get medical help – and honestly, that alone is a total game changer! Level Health was created with a pretty simple idea: make health insurance make sense. That's why they've stripped things back to just four straightforward plans. You won't need to wade through dozens of policy options or decode industry jargon. It's designed for real people who just want cover that actually works, without the admin headache. And when it comes to customer support? You can get help via WhatsApp. Like, from a real person. Even better, claims can be paid directly into your Revolut, in hours, not days! It's health insurance that's actually fast and user-friendly. But Level Health hasn't stopped at the basics. You've got access to the most comprehensive network of hospitals, and cover for more urgent care clinics, private emergency departments and scan centres than with any other Irish health insurer. Pic: Getty Images There are also exclusive perks through Aviva, like big discounts on home (50% off!), motor, and mortgage protection insurance – plus free family protection cover with every plan. Oh, and if you're watching your wallet (who isn't?), their most affordable plan gives you both health and travel insurance for less than €1.50 a day. That's genuinely less than your morning oat flat white. More and more people are switching to Level Health because it just makes sense. It's a modern, customer-first approach that puts you in control of your healthcare without making you jump through hoops. Supplied You shouldn't have to wait until Monday to speak to a doctor when your brain is spiralling at 2:47am. With QuickClinic, you don't have to. So, if you've ever thought health insurance was overly complicated, outdated or just not designed for the way we live today, you're not wrong. And now, there's finally a smarter, more human way to do it. Curious? Head over to and get a quote. You might just find yourself saying: Why didn't I switch sooner?! Level Health Limited trading as Level Health is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Health insurance products provided by Level Health Limited are underwritten by Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC. Home and car insurance is underwritten by Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC. Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC, trading as Aviva, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Mortgage Protection policy is arranged by Aviva Direct Ireland Limited and underwritten by Aviva Life & Pensions Ireland. Aviva Direct Ireland Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Travel insurance is provided by Allianz Partners on behalf of Level Health. AWP P&C S.A. – Dutch Branch, trading as Allianz Partners, registered at the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets and authorised by L'Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR) in France and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland for conduct of business rules.


Irish Post
an hour ago
- Irish Post
Born in Britain, still not English
THERE are quite clearly some people who were born and raised in Irish families in England who consider themselves English. I don't have any problem with that.I don't fully understand it, but that's not meant as any kind of judgement. I'm only going by my own experience, and such was the intensity of being Irish in that upbringing that being English just never occurred to me. Of course, I can see how that is different for different people. Coming from those huge, urban Irish immigrant communities, I can't quite see how you come out of that not being Irish—but, you know, to each their own. English. Half-Irish-Half-English. British. I've heard all of them and, like I say, while I can't quite grasp those identities, that doesn't mean they aren't valid. The failure of understanding is mine, isn't it? I know I can define and defend my identity—God only knows I've gone on about it quite enough—so I've no need to denigrate someone else's. I do have some bad news, though, for those who do see themselves as English: it might just be the case that they don't want you. The English, I mean. The English-English, if you like. Fittingly enough, as I'm writing this in the month the death was announced of Norman Tebbit, the 1980s hardline Conservative MP. Back in the eighties, Tebbit was one of my early confirmations of how I wasn't English when he rolled out his infamous 'cricket test'. It all sounds quite innocent by today's standards, but Tebbit's notion was that if you had been raised and were living and working in England but did not support England in the cricket, then what were you doing here? As neither a cricket fan nor an England fan, I knew I was going to fail that loyalty test every time. I was never going to be English in Tebbit's eyes—and that suited me fine. But we've gone way past cricket now in Brexit-flavoured England. What follows is not a conversation from the dark corners of the internet, nor one between fringe figures. It comes from The Spectator magazine and features Michael Gove, who was until recently a senior government minister, and Matt Goodwin, a political scientist, commentator, and GB News presenter. These are their words, quoted verbatim for the purposes of commentary: Michael Gove: 'Would you say that Kemi Badenoch, or Rishi Sunak or Tony Sewell or Dame Kelly Holmes are not really English?' Matt Goodwin: 'Well, this is a debate. My view is that Englishness is an ethnicity, deeply rooted in a people that can trace their roots back over generations. It is a very distinctive identity and a different identity from Britishness. I think someone can identify as British and can be British but they cannot simultaneously identify as English.' Goodwin continues: 'I take a much thicker view of Englishness and that is that our history, the legacy of our collective identity, the legacy of our culture, goes much deeper and much further back.' Gove then asks him about the Englishness of former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak—pointing out that Sunak was born and raised in Southampton, went to that most English of public schools, Winchester, supports Southampton FC, and is a Conservative. 'Is he not English?' To which Goodwin replies: 'Well, Rishi Sunak could choose to identify as English if he views himself that way, but I think it is also true that there is an English ethnicity, an English group, that goes back generations that Rishi Sunak himself would say, 'I do not have as strong a linkage to that group as other people do.'' Asked to define Englishness, Goodwin says: 'I would say someone who has been born in England, can trace their roots back through many generations, and who would identify with a way of life and a culture that surrounds Englishness as an identity.' Now, all of those words are theirs. I haven't altered them or shaped them to fit an argument of my own. I haven't even explored where such ideas of English ethnic identity lead to, or just how many people it excludes. But one, maybe two generations removed from a farmer in Mayo, a labourer in Cork, or a painter in Dublin—just how English do you think they really think you are? Joe Horgan posts on X at @JoeHorganwriter See More: Englishness, Irish Identity