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Export Controls

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 September 2014

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Questions (393)

Seán Crowe

Question:

393. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of export licences of military goods for Israel that his Department approved; the type of military goods that have been exported; and if, in view of Israel's recent military attacks on Gaza which killed over 2,200 people, the vast majority civilians, and the accusations that it committed war crimes, his Department now refuse to approve export licences of military goods for Israel. [33773/14]

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Written answers

My Department is responsible for controls on the export of military items from Ireland. Under Irish law, military export licences have to be sought in respect of the goods and technology, and any components thereof, listed in the Annexe to the Control of Exports (Goods and Technology) Order, SI.216 of 2012 which reflects the EU Common Military List.

The EU Common Military List includes military goods and technology, and components for such items that should be licensed for export from the Union. Items which are classified as “military goods” from an export control perspective and which are exported from Ireland involve components rather than military equipment.

The Department consults with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in respect of all military export licence applications. All military licence applications are subject to rigorous scrutiny, and are considered in the light of the spirit and objectives of the 1998 EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports. This Code, which was subsequently adopted in 2008 as an EU Common Position, seeks to safeguard, among other concerns, regional stability and human rights. All applications for export licences are very carefully assessed having regard to the end use and the end user and against well-established criteria.

Eleven licences for the export of Military List items to Israel have been issued from 2011 to date. Details are provided as follows:

2011

Three licences for the export of Military List products to Israel were issued in 2011, to the total value of €6.138 million. Two licences were issued for Military List (ML) “category 6” items while one was issued for ML “category 22” items. The ML “category 6 “refers to “Ground Vehicles and Components”, while ML “category 22” refers to “Technology”. “Technology” is that which is “required for the development, production or use of items or components specified in the EU Common Military List”.

2012

One licence for the export of Military List products to Israel was issued in 2012. The value of the licence was €39,525 and it was issued for ML “category 6” items, i.e. “Ground Vehicles and Components”.

2013

Five licences for the export of Military List products to Israel were issued in 2013, to the total value of €119,971. Two licences were issued for ML “category 6” items while three were issued for ML “category 10” items. The ML “category 10” refers to “Aircraft, lighter-than-air vehicles, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles “UAVs”), aero-engines and aircraft equipment, related equipment, and components”.

2014

Two licences for the export of Military List products to Israel were issued during the first quarter of 2014, to the total value of €126,637. Both licences were issued for ML “category 6” items. No licences for the export of Military List products to Israel have been granted since the end of the first quarter of 2014.

The figures provided above represent the maximum value which can be exported under the above export licences and not the value of the goods and technology actually exported under those licences. It is important to recall that items which were classified as “military goods” from an export control perspective and which were exported from Ireland involved components for inclusion in, rather than finished military equipment. These components were generally exported to manufacturers in Israel before being sent to the final end-user in Israel.

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