Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 December 2004
7 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to Irish companies that have traded in dual-use goods with organisations that are based in states that have been the subject of resolutions by the UN Commission on Human Rights in the course of the past ten years; and if he will supply details of such transactions. [33855/04]
View answerAccessible records in respect of dual-use licences are only available for the period since 1996. Details of dual-use export licences issued to Irish companies since 1996 in respect of countries that have been the subject of resolutions by the UN Commission on Human Rights in the course of the past ten years are contained in the tabular statement which will be circulated to the House.
Exports of dual-use goods are administered in accordance with the EU regulation for the control of dual-use goods and technology. In assessing applications for export licences, a number of considerations are taken into account, including: the end-user; obligations and commitments which arise from membership of the relevant international non-proliferation regimes and export control arrangements or by ratification of relevant international treaties; the country of final destination with particular reference to its membership of non-proliferation regimes, its respect for human rights, and the existence of any internal or external conflict; obligations under sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council or agreed in other international fora.
|
Country |
Individual Licences |
Included in Global Licences |
Products covered |
|
Afghanistan |
4 |
5 |
Algorithms, computer equipment and software |
|
Belarus |
9 |
66 |
Algorithms, telecommunications equipment, electronic components, computer equipment, cryptographic hardware and software |
|
Bosnia Herzegovina |
10 |
14 |
Algorithms, cryptographic hardware and software, computer equipment and software |
|
Burma/Myanmar |
2 |
3 |
Algorithms, computer software |
|
Burundi |
8 |
33 |
Algorithms, computer equipment, computer software, cryptographic hardware and software |
|
Cambodia |
nil |
24 |
Algorithms, telecommunications equipment, computer equipment and software |
|
Chad |
2 |
47 |
Algorithms, telecommunications equipment, electronic components, computer equipment, cryptographic hardware and software |
|
Croatia |
146 |
46 |
Algorithms, telecommunications equipment, computer equipment, computer software, cryptographic hardware and software, biological products for medical use |
|
Cuba |
2 |
16 |
Algorithms |
|
Democratic Republic of Congo |
6 |
39 |
Algorithms, telecommunications equipment, computer equipment and software |
|
East Timor |
3 |
3 |
Algorithms, computer software |
|
El Salvador |
6 |
55 |
Algorithms, computer equipment, cryptographic hardware and software, biological products for medical use, telecommunications equipment |
|
Equatorial Guinea |
2 |
33 |
Algorithms, cryptographic hardware and software |
|
Former Republic of Yugoslavia |
14 |
15 |
Algorithms, computer equipment, computer software, cryptographic hardware and software. |
|
Guatemala |
3 |
43 |
Algorithms, biological products for medical use, software, telecommunications equipment, computer equipment. |
|
Haiti |
Nil |
13 |
Telecommunications equipment, software |
|
Iraq |
2 |
Nil |
Algorithms |
|
Iran |
6 |
2 |
Algorithms, electronic circuits and software, computer equipment, electronic components |
|
Israel |
654 |
95 |
Telecommunications equipment, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, electronic components, computer software, computer equipment, cryptographic hardware and software, biological products for medical use |
|
Liberia |
2 |
14 |
Algorithms, computer equipment and software |
|
Nigeria |
41 |
31 |
Algorithms, telecommunications equipment, computer software, computer equipment, electronic components, cryptographic hardware and software |
|
Papua New Guinea |
2 |
25 |
Algorithms, telecommunications equipment, computer equipment, cryptographic hardware and software |
|
Russia |
168 |
157 |
Algorithms, telecommunications equipment, biological products for medical use, electronic components, computer equipment, cryptographic hardware and software |
|
Sierra Leone |
2 |
17 |
Algorithms, computer equipment and software, cryptographic hardware and software |
|
Somalia |
4 |
4 |
Algorithms, cryptographic hardware and software |
|
South Africa |
325 |
181 |
Algorithms, telecommunications equipment, biological products for medical use, electronic components, metal fabrication units, chemical storage tanks, computer equipment, cryptographic hardware and software |
|
Sudan |
1 |
Nil |
electronic circuits and software |
|
Syria |
8 |
14 |
Algorithms, software, telecommunications equipment |
|
Togo |
2 |
35 |
Algorithms, computer equipment, cryptographic hardware and software |
|
Turkmenistan |
1 |
45 |
Algorithms, telecommunications equipment, electronic components, computer equipment, cryptographic hardware and software |
|
Uganda |
3 |
61 |
Algorithms, telecommunications equipment, computer equipment, cryptographic hardware and software |
The Minister's predecessor promised legislation on the issue of Irish manufacture of military and security equipment and dual-use components. That was to be based on the report which was commissioned by Forfás on military and dual-use goods exports. Does the Minister intend to pursue this issue by following up on the recommendations in that report, which was published in July 2004? Its main recommendations were that a system of checks was needed to identify firms that might be breaching export controls, that we should prepare and publish an annual report on licensed exports in arms and dual-use products to be laid before the Oireachtas each year and that we introduce tight arms control legislation to close loopholes that could enable arms brokers to operate inIreland.
Is this an area in which the Minister believes he will be able to introduce such legislation? The key issue is to have clarity and certainty about what this country is producing and where it is going. My understanding from the details of the report Amnesty International has produced on this area is that the lack of certainty or clarity is a deep concern for that organisation and for many people here.
The difficulty with national legislation on this is that regulation of trade in dual-use equipment is a matter of EU regulation and is governed by Council Regulation No. 1334/2000 of 22 June 2000. That is the legal instrument establishing a Community system to control exports of dual-use equipment and technology. It has been updated on a number of occasions. The purpose of these updates has generally been to bring the list of specified dual-use items up to date, in line with EU member states' undertakings in the various international non-proliferation agreements.
The overall implication of the existence of this regulation is that the list of dual-use items subject to control is now a matter for the European Union policy agenda, not Ireland's. However, Ireland has some flexibility with regard to how it implements the regulation and the Department has some discretion in that regard. The content of the regulation, particularly the list of defined dual-use items, is a matter for EU common decisions as part of EU internal market and common external trade policy provisions.
The Minister of State with responsibility for trade is unable to be here this afternoon but I will refer the Deputy's comments to him regarding domestic legislation and ask him to revert to the Deputy.
