Arms trade with Israel
Deputy Barry links the occupied territories Bill to Ireland's arms trade and asks what legislation will address it. The Tánaiste says trade with third countries is an EU competence, the Bill is legally unsound, and boycotts must be discussed at EU level.
The Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill is to be considered in the Dáil this afternoon. If passed, it would have the effect of banning the importation of goods produced in Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands already condemned as illegal by both the United Nations and the European Union. It is an important and modest Bill. I want to ask about an issue related to it but that is not covered by it, namely the arms trade between Ireland and Israel in the context of human rights commitments given by the Government in the programme for Government. The Minister will be aware that, since 2005, there have been military imports from Israel to this State worth nearly €15 million.
Comment on this
Military and dual-use hardware worth more than €6 million was sold to Israel since 2011. In the context of 9,000 Palestinians, including more than 2,000 children, having been killed by the Israeli state since 2000, what plans does the Government have, given the human rights commitments, to introduce legislation and deal with this issue?
Comment on this
Trade with third countries outside the European Union is a EU competence, which is why the Government will not support the Bill when it is introduced later today by Fianna Fáil. There is very clear legal advice from the Attorney General and other sources that the Bill is not legally sound. Therefore, we could not support it, even if we wanted to. On trade with Israel-----