Credit: The Left, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

The Tánaiste yesterday told TDs that the imposition of US sanctions on Ms Albanese, an outspoken opponent of Israel’s assault on Gaza, was a “deeply concerning development”.

Ms Albanese has served since May 2022 as the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967.

The US announcement comes days after she published a report which named businesses, charities and universities she said had “profited from Israel’s economy of illegal occupation, apartheid and now, genocide”.

Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade did not respond to a request for comment from Irish Legal News.

However, Mr Harris was yesterday asked in the Dáil by Sinn Féin’s Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire to respond to the “extraordinary announcement”.

The Tánaiste agreed with Mr Ó Laoghaire that the US decision was “appalling”.

“Any attacks or sanctions on UN representatives are attacks not just on them but on multilateralism,” Mr Harris said.

“Ireland remains a steadfast supporter of the work of the United Nations and the special rapporteur.”