Council seeking to confer top Irish award on Albanese

Meath County Council is to write to the Irish Embassy in Italy, requesting that consideration be given to conferring the Presidential Distinguished Service Award on Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur for her distinguished service to causes of international importance, particularly her work with the people of Palestine.

This Award was established by the Irish Government in 2012, to provide a system of State recognition to people living abroad.

At Meath County Council's November monthly meeting Cllr Eddie Fennessy proposed nominating Ms Albanese for the award.

After the meeting he sad anyone who follows the situation in Gaza over the past few years will be aware of who Francesca Albanese is. "As UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine, she has been to the fore exposing Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people.

“Last week she addressed the Joint Committee on European Affairs at Leinster House where she laid bare the extent of devastation caused by Israeli genocide.

“Over 75,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since 2023. eighty per cent of those deaths were women and children.

“Every school, hospital, civic building and residential area has been completely destroyed. Access to clean water and power is non-existent. Food shortage is a major problem and much of the population have been displaced and forced into camps which are swept with death, disease and famine, killing more and more people every day.

“Francesca has received several international awards for her distinguished service to human rights causes and for her work in Palestine.

“I believe she would be a worthy recipient of the Presidential Distinguished Service Award. I'm delighted my motion passed unopposed. Meath County Council will now write to the Irish Ambassador in Italy to ask that Francesca be nominated.”