Written Answers Nos. 130-149
130. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Taoiseach the contracts his Department or agencies under his remit has with a company (details supplied); the status of these contracts; and the contingency plans that may now be required. [3153/18]
View answerMy Department does not have contracts with the company in question, nor does the only body under the aegis of my Department, namely the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO).
131. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Taoiseach the number of agencies, boards or other bodies under the aegis of his Department that have been disbanded or amalgamated or whose functions were subsumed back into his department since 2011; the number of such bodies set up by his Department since that date; and the names of the bodies in each case. [3411/18]
View answerNo agencies, boards or other such bodies under the aegis of my Department have been disbanded, amalgamated or have had their functions subsumed back into my Department since 2011 and no such bodies have been established since that date.
132. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Taoiseach the amount paid out and the number of claims the payouts related to by each agency under the aegis of his Department in respect of personal injury claims in each of the years 2010 to 2017; the number of claims that were settled outside of court in each of these years; the number of payments that were as a result of a court judgement in each of these years; and the nature of the claims. [3428/18]
View answerMy Department paid one claim in respect of personal injury during the years 2010 to 2017. The claim was settled out of court in 2014 and related to an event which took place in 2011. The total cost of the claim was €22,909.30. No claims were made during these years in respect of the National Economic and Social Development Office - the only Agency under the aegis of my Department.
133. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if Ireland’s triple lock will apply to all joint military development or procurement initiatives which Ireland undertakes with other countries under PESCO. [2929/18]
View answer134. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if the triple lock will be used to ensure that multi-country military procurement which Ireland participates in or financially contributes to under PESCO is approved by the Cabinet, agreed by Dáil Éireann and subject to a UN mandate. [2930/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 134 together.
Under the Defence Acts, the deployment of the Defence Forces overseas on peacekeeping missions requires the approval of the Government and Dáil Éireann and the specific mission must be authorised by the United Nations Security Council. This is what is termed the “triple-lock”. The United Nations Security Council has the primary role in relation to the maintenance of international peace and security and, under Chapter VI and VII of the UN Charter, authorises the deployment of military forces in support of international peace and security. However, neither the UN nor the UN Security Council have any role in relation to States' capability development or equipment procurement.
Ireland will only join PESCO projects to develop a capability that will enhance our interoperability and assist with equipping our troops with the latest and best equipment and training for peace keeping, conflict prevention or the strengthening of international security in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
135. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if Ireland purchases weapons from Israel; and if so, the amount of money spent in the past five years. [2760/18]
View answerThe primary focus for the procurement of defensive equipment by the Department of Defence is to maintain the capability of the Irish Defence Forces to fulfil the roles as assigned by Government. This includes undertaking overseas Peace Support Operations, and in this regard to afford the greatest possible force protection to Irish troops whilst on all missions.
The principle of competitive tendering for Government contracts is used by the Department of Defence for the acquisition of defensive equipment for the Defence Forces. Central to those procedures is the requirement to allow fair competition between suppliers through the submission of tenders following advertising of the tender competition on the e-tenders site and on the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), where appropriate, in line with the EU procurement directives, including the Directive on the procurement of Defensive and Security Equipment.
Such tender competitions are open to any company or country in accordance with the terms of all UN, OSCE and EU arms embargoes or restrictions. There are no such restrictions or embargoes in place on Israeli companies.
I am advised that the Department of Defence has not purchased any weapons from Israel in the last five years. However, other defensive equipment has been acquired from Israeli companies during that timeframe. The expenditure primarily relates to the procurement of Ground Surveillance Radars for the Defence Forces and the upgrade of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles operated by the Defence Forces. A breakdown of expenditure on the purchase of defensive equipment from Israel for the last five years is set out in the table.
|
Year |
Expenditure |
|
2013 |
€374,213.24 |
|
2014 |
€2,483,283.00 |
|
2015 |
€882,469.57 |
|
2016 |
€365,470.00 |
|
2017 |
€3,201,314.06 |
136. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence when personal superannuation fund statements for 2015 and 2016, as provided for under the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 are required to be issued to members of the Defence Forces recruited since 2012; when they will be issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2770/18]
View answerThe Single Public Service Pension Scheme ("Single Scheme") generally applies to all new-entrant public servants with effect from 1 January 2013. The rules of the Scheme are set out in the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 (‘2012 Act’).
With regard to Statements of Benefits, the 2012 Act provides that Statements are to be issued;
- on an annual basis to all active (employed) members at 31 December, by end-June of the following year, and
- to individual members whose employment ceases, within 6 months of leaving the job.
I can confirm that my Department has commenced issuing Statements in respect of the years 2013 to 2016 to relevant serving Permanent Defence Force personnel who are members of the Single Scheme. Some 10% of personnel have been issued with Statements to date and the remaining Statements are in the process of being checked prior to issue. The Department aims to issue the balance of Statements for the years up to 2016 by April 2018. If a Single Scheme member in the Permanent Defence Force wishes to have a Benefit Statement in relation to their particular case they can contact the Pensions Administration Section of my Department and ask for a manually calculated Benefit Statement.
It is important to note that the Single Scheme is fundamentally different to all pre-2013 public service schemes as it is based on career-average pay rather than final salary and service. Also, it is one Single Scheme across the entire public service. It is significantly more complex to administer than all preceding schemes. This has presented significant operational challenges with regard to issuing Benefit Statements for large and growing numbers of members. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is examining various options for the long-term administrative arrangements for the Single Scheme and the Government has decided on a phased approach to addressing the challenges around the administration of the Scheme. This includes the design and development of a Shared Single Scheme Administration Service for the Scheme in the long-term.
137. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if military equipment developed or procured as part a joint initiative between Ireland and other countries under PESCO will only be used under UN mandate. [2933/18]
View answerThe capabilities developed through PESCO will be owned by the Member States who participated in the project. These capabilities can be made available for CSDP Operations, including peacekeeping, crisis management and disaster relief. They will not be owned by the EU.
It is a matter for each participating member State to determine for itself what capabilities it requires, and is prepared to acquire, having regard to its national security and defence policy. The potential use of equipment procured or capabilities developed under PESCO will be a consideration for Ireland when joining a particular project. In that regard, we will only join projects to develop a capability that will enhance our interoperability and assist with equipping our troops with the latest and best equipment and training for peace keeping, conflict prevention or the strengthening of international security in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, in accordance with the provisions of the Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009.
138. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of lives saved in the Mediterranean Sea during each of the Irish naval missions in each of the years 2015 to 2017. [2934/18]
View answerThe deployment of Irish Naval vessels to the Mediterranean to engage in humanitarian search and rescue tasks as part of Operation Pontus from 2015 to 2017, was an important element in Ireland's response to the migration crisis in the Mediterranean. Overall, 17,509 migrants were rescued under Operation Pontus and details are out in the table below.
|
Year |
Deployed |
Naval vessel |
Persons rescued |
|
2015 |
16 MAY - 17 JULY |
LÉ EITHNE |
3,377 |
|
|
10 JULY - 02 OCTOBER |
LÉ NIAMH |
4,127 |
|
|
24 SEPTEMBER - 29 NOVEMBER |
LÉ SAMUEL BECKETT |
1,088 |
|
TOTAL |
|
|
8,592 |
|
2016 |
01 MAY – 15 JULY |
L.É. RÓISÍN |
1,264 |
|
|
08 JULY – 30 SEPTEMBER |
L.É. JAMES JOYCE |
2,678 |
|
|
23 SEPTEMBER – 16 DECEMBER |
L.É. SAMUEL BECKETT |
3,087 |
|
TOTAL |
|
|
7,029 |
|
2017 |
23 MAY – 22 JULY |
L.É. EITHNE |
1,187 |
|
|
14 JULY – 6 OCT |
L.É. WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS |
701 |
|
TOTAL |
|
|
1,888 |
As the Deputy will note there is a significant variation in the numbers rescued over similar periods in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and the flow of migrants is impossible to predict. There has been a significant fall in the number of migrants coming through the Central Mediterranean Route in 2017, down by 50% which is reflected in the reduced number of rescues by Operation Pontus in 2017.
In July 2017, Government and Dáil approval was secured for the redeployment of Irish Naval Service vessels from primarily humanitarian search and rescue operations, to primarily security and interception operations, as part of EUNAVFOR MED Operation Sophia.
Operation Sophia specifically seeks to counter human trafficking and smuggling in the Southern Central Mediterranean by taking action against the criminal networks and disrupting the smugglers business model. The mission is also providing capacity building and training to the Libyan Coastguard and Navy and contributing to the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions No. 2240 and No. 2292. These Resolutions also authorise the interception of vessels suspected of being used for illicit activities and impose an arms embargo on Libya in an effort to prevent the flow of illicit arms and related material into that country.
An Irish naval vessel, L.É. Niamh, deployed on 6 October 2017 to join Operation Sophia and returned to Ireland on 20 December 2017. In the course of its deployment as part of Operation Sophia, the L.É. Niamh was primarily tasked to respond to Safety of Life at Sea (Search and Rescue) events in the area of operation. Over the period of its deployment with Operation Sophia, a total of 613 persons were rescued by the LE Niamh.
As a participant in Operation Sophia, Ireland is now working closely as part of 27 EU Member States making a contribution to addressing some of the root causes of migration and human trafficking. From a security and disruption perspective, Operation Sophia has been able to dispose of more than 520 assets used by smugglers and traffickers. The mission has apprehended 130 suspected smugglers on the high seas who have been handed over to the Italian authorities and are currently either awaiting or facing trial. It has responded to 290 Safety of Life at Sea events and rescued over 42,400 migrants to date.
139. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the contracts his Department or agencies under his remit has with a company (details supplied); the status of these contracts; the contingency plans that may now be required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3143/18]
View answerI can confirm that neither the Department of Defence nor the Defence Forces have contracts with the company referred to by the Deputy.
140. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of Air Corps personnel stationed at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel in each of the years 1980 to 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3223/18]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is not readily available given that it spans a period of thirty five years and the work involved in investigating and extracting records would require significant human resources.
With the support of the Chief of Staff, my focus is on ensuring that the Defence Forces are staffed in a manner that will enable them to continue to deliver the services required of them by Government.
141. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if the report of the lariam working group as referenced by him in a Private Memberss debate on the matter in Dáil Éireann on 28 June 2017 has been completed and provided to him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3224/18]
View answerThe Report of the Working Group on Malaria Chemoprophylaxis, which was convened in the context of current and potential litigation, has been completed and provided to me. The Working Group has made a total of twelve recommendations, which are intended to ensure that the Defence Forces medical policies and practices continually develop in light of best practice. I have accepted these recommendations in principle whilst recognising that certain of these recommendations will need to be further developed to allow for their implementation.
Whilst acknowledging that the Report is legally privileged in the context of litigation, I can confirm that many of its recommendations focus on areas including planning, training and education/information sharing as well as the establishment of a Medical Advisory Group.
As I already indicated, proposals will be further developed in relation to the establishment of this new Medical Advisory Group. This will formalise the provision of on-going expert advice, including external expert medical advice, to the Defence Forces in relation to a range of medical matters including malaria chemoprophylaxis.
I wish to assure the Deputy that the heath and welfare of the men and women of the Defence Forces is a key priority for me and for the Military Authorities.
142. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the benefits for Ireland of the decision to sign up to PESCO; the impact this will have for members of the Defence Forces in County Kildare and nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3264/18]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware PESCO is a mechanism provided for in the Treaty of the European Union to enable participating member States to come together and, on a project by project basis, jointly develop military crisis management capabilities for use in support of the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) operations and missions in support of international peace and security.
Ireland is a strong proponent of the important role the EU can play in support of international peace and security and the UN. It is important therefore to remain fully engaged in all CSDP processes. Fully participating in these developments ensures that we have a voice and that we can influence the evolution of these initiatives.
Now that we are participating in PESCO the focus for Ireland will be on identifying key PESCO projects which enhance the capability and capacity of the Defence Forces to successfully undertake modern complex UN mandated missions, including CSDP operations and on supporting interoperability in this regard. Consideration is currently being given to the potential PESCO projects in which Ireland will participate. The work on elaborating the details of these project proposals and potential participants is currently ongoing at EU level and Ireland is playing its full part in those deliberations.
To the extent that PESCO is designed to provide more effective delivery of enhanced military capability for CSDP crisis management operations at the highest level, it will benefit the men and women of our Defence Forces, from all across the country including Co. Kildare.
When the Defence Forces deploy overseas our men and women never do so alone. We always work in close cooperation with other countries deployed on such operations. PESCO is also a means of enhancing interoperability with our future project partners, something that will be of great benefit for our troops on future missions overseas.
143. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the position regarding the capital investment plan for the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3295/18]
View answerFollowing the mid-term review of the capital plan ‘Building on Recovery : Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016 – 2021’, Budget 2018 provided capital funding of €416 million for Vote 36 – Defence for the period to 2018 – 2021. This funding will allow the Defence Organisation to undertake a programme of sustained equipment replacement and infrastructural development across the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service, as set out in the White Paper on Defence.
Work is ongoing, under the National Development Plan, on the development of an investment plan for the period 2018 to 2027. In this context, my Department is engaged with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to make appropriate provision in the plan for Defence investment requirements over the period to 2027 taking account of the priorities set out in the White Paper on Defence.
144. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the reason bestowing on the Defence Forces the rights contained in the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 has not been progressed over the past year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3371/18]
View answerThe implications of the Working Time Directive and its implementation, in respect of the Defence Forces, under the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997, have been the subject of an intensive and on-going review by my Department for some time. A blanket exemption in respect of Defence Forces activities under the Act is currently in place.
My Department has concluded an audit of the activities of the Defence Forces, with a view to determining what activities may qualify for a derogation or exemption under the terms of the Directive.
In November 2016, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation advised my Department that it received Government approval to amend the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997, insofar as it provides for a specific exclusion for members of An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces. The responsibility for this legislation moved to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection in 2017 and they are currently considering the most appropriate legislative method by which to bring about necessary amendments.
I am constrained as to what further details I can share with the Deputy as there is litigation pending in the High Court on this matter.
145. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of agencies, boards or other bodies under the aegis of his Department that have been disbanded or amalgamated or whose functions were subsumed back into his department since 2011; the number of such bodies set up by his department since that date; the names of the bodies in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3401/18]
View answerThere were three bodies under the aegis of my Department in 2011 - the Civil Defence Board, the Board of Coiste an Asgard and the Army Pensions Board. The Civil Defence Board was identified in the Public Service Reform Plan as a body to be abolished and legislation was passed by the Oireachtas in December 2012 for the dissolution of the Board. Its functions and staff transferred back to the Department of Defence from 1 January 2013. Coiste an Asgard was the company set up to manage the National Sail Training Scheme. In September 2008, the company’s sail training vessel ‘Asgard II’ sank in the Bay of Biscay. In December 2009, the then Government announced that the National Sail Training Scheme was to be discontinued and the funding for 2010 was cancelled. The Company was inactive from that date and there were no crew or staff left on the payroll. The formal wind up of the Company including voluntary strike off with the Companies Registration Office was completed in early 2013.
The Army Pensions Board, which is an independent statutory body established under the Army Pensions Act 1927, remains in operation.
No new agencies have been established under the auspices of my Department in the period from 2011.
146. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the amount paid out and the number of claims the payouts related to by each agency under the aegis of his Department in respect of personal injury claims in each of the years 2010 to 2017; the number of claims that were settled outside of court in each of these years; the number of payments that were as a result of a court judgement in each of these years; the nature of the claims; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3418/18]
View answerThere were two agencies under the Department's aegis during the period 2010 to 2012 inclusive i.e. the Army Pensions Board and the Civil Defence Board. With effect from 1st January 2013 the functions of the Civil Defence Board and its staff were transferred back to the Department of Defence.
In respect of the Army Pensions Board, there were no personal injury claims in each of the years 2010 to 2017. The information sought in respect of Civil Defence could not be compiled within the timeframe for answering the Deputy's question. The information has been requested and I will write to the Deputy with the information as soon as it is available to me.
147. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the Government's position in relation to Israel and Palestine. [2759/18]
View answerIreland, along with our EU partners, supports the achievement of a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that meets Israeli and Palestinian security needs and Palestinian aspirations for statehood and sovereignty, ends the occupation that began in 1967, and resolves all permanent status issues in order to end the conflict. This issue has a personal priority for me since I took up office as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. Ireland and the EU support political efforts to encourage a resumption of direct negotiations, which are ultimately the only way to achieve peace. Ireland and the EU also engage in action on the ground on human rights and justice issues affecting Palestinians under occupation, including settlement activity, which is progressively endangering prospects for a peace agreement.
In recent months the new United States administration has been actively exploring the possibilities for re-launching the process to reach a comprehensive peace agreement. This engagement is welcome, and I have met myself with the US team to encourage their work, and to underline to them the key parameters for an agreement which the EU has long espoused.
I was very disappointed at the US announcement recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and initiating steps to move the US Embassy, which I believe was premature and ill-advised, and unhelpful to efforts to resolve the conflict in the Middle East. Ireland was one of 128 UN Member States which supported a UN General Assembly resolution stressing that the Holy City “is a final status issue to be resolved through negotiations in line with relevant UN resolutions.”
In discussions with my EU colleagues, at the Foreign Affairs Council yesterday, I again urged the EU to play a positive role in an appropriate US peace initiative. The EU will also continue work on the ground to help preserve and create the political and physical space in which the two state solution can be achieved. I am actively exploring with EU colleagues how this can best be done.
Earlier this month, I visited Israel and Palestine for the second time in my role Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and in all of my meetings – with Israelis, Palestinians, and UN partners – I conveyed the importance the Irish people attach to the resolution of the Middle East Peace Process.
In my meetings with the Israeli authorities, I expressed Ireland’s concerns about the impact of the continuing occupation, including settlement construction and the effects on minors who are detained. I had a frank discussion with Prime Minister Netanyahu about the prospects for returning to negotiations between the parties, and how Ireland and the EU can play a constructive role in the MEPP.
I also had the opportunity to meet with Palestinian President Abbas, whom I met again at the Foreign Affairs Council yesterday, and urged him to keep an open mind on any proposal the US may bring forward. In my meeting with Foreign Minister Malki, I discussed the challenges facing the Palestinian people, the prospects for reinvigorating peace negotiations, and efforts to restore the Palestinian Authority to its role in Gaza – work that I encouraged and supported.
148. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the contact he has had with Honduran officials regarding the disputed election results which took place recently in the country and the escalating violence as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2877/18]
View answerOfficials at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are closely monitoring developments in Honduras following elections which took place there on 26 November 2017. I condemn unreservedly the loss of life in the aftermath of those elections and express my sincere condolences to the families of the victims. Freedom of expression and assembly are the cornerstones of any functioning democracy and those rights must be guaranteed. All sides in Honduras must work within the political system to deliver the political reforms necessary to secure the trust of the Honduran people in the country’s institutions.
While Ireland does not have diplomatic representation in Honduras, officials at my Department engage closely with the European External Action Service working through its EU delegation in Tegucigalpa, and meet with human rights defenders and civil society organisations active in that country, most recently in Dublin in October 2017 when the elections were discussed in some detail. Furthermore, Irish Aid contributes funding to programmes in Honduras through civil society organisations, chiefly Trócaire, including in support of its important work on human rights.
As the Deputy will be aware, facilitated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ireland contributed one long-term observer and one short-term observer to the EU Election Observer Mission to Honduras, beginning in October 2017. Officials of the Department conducted a debrief with the observers in early January. The EU Observer Mission will deliver its final report on the election in the coming months. In its preliminary statement, the Mission gave a generally positive evaluation of the organisation of the elections, while at the same time noting the negative public perception of the neutrality of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal and the disparity in resources enjoyed by one candidate compared with competitors.
I urge the Government of Honduras to take on board and adopt any recommendations made by the EU observer mission in order to help to restore much needed public confidence in future electoral processes in the country.
I can assure the Deputy that we will continue to monitor the situation closely and maintain contact with actors on the ground in Honduras in the weeks and months ahead.
149. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on plans to prohibit certain economic activity, including the import and sale of goods, with settlements in territories deemed occupied under international law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2887/18]
View answerI am conscious of the need to distinguish in our policies, between third countries in general, and territories that are illegally occupied under international law. This issue arises, for instance, in the case of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory or in occupied Syrian Golan. Ireland and the European Union do not recognise these settlements as legal and do not provide assistance to their development. We maintain very clearly the position that these settlements are illegal, and harmful both to the Palestinian people, and to the prospects for peace between Israel and its neighbours. Ireland supports normal trade access for Israeli goods and services to the EU single market, consistent with the treatment of other countries with which the EU has trade and political agreements (many of which are the subject of very serious human rights concerns). However, Ireland has argued successfully that any rights granted to Israel under these agreements cannot be applied to Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory, and in response the EU has acted in a number of ways to give effect to its disapproval of, and long standing position of opposition to, illegal Israeli settlements:
- Goods from settlements are excluded from the low tariff rates applied to Israeli goods.
- EU funding may not be disbursed to Israeli entities based in settlements.
- Ireland and a number of EU Member States have published advice to citizens and businesses against investing in, or engaging in any form of economic activity with, settlements.
- EU-wide guidelines on labelling of goods from settlements
In discussions at EU level, I am open to considering in principle any proposal that the European Union should exclude products from illegal settlements from entering the EU market. However, the inescapable fact is that there is no prospect of such a proposal in relation to Israeli settlements gaining wider support at present.
My Department will carefully examine any proposed plans that may be put forward relating to the prohibition, at a national level, of imports from, or the sale of goods to, territories that are under occupation as defined by international law. It is, however, necessary to caution that international trade between the European Union’s Member States and third countries is regulated by the EU’s Common Commercial Policy and is a matter of exclusive Union competence. As a result, the scope which is afforded to a Member State to take such action is both limited and, naturally, governed by EU law including Regulation 2015/478 on Common Rules for Imports.
Any action by one Member State alone would raise not just legal, but also numerous practical problems. In any case, it is my firm view that an action of this type sends an effective signal only when pursued by a group of countries, sending a signal of international opinion on the issue. A coordinated EU policy is the only method that will have the potential to bring about change. The impact which this type of coordinated response can have was evident in the EU’s import ban on goods from, and restrictions on exports to, Crimea and Sevastopol, following their illegal annexation by Russia.
I would like to draw a clear distinction between settlements in occupied territory, and Israel itself, and to reiterate that the Government does not support the policy known as ‘BDS’ in relation to Israel. This has been the position of every Irish Government.
Ireland remains a strong and consistent critic of Israeli policies relating to the occupation, and in particular those connected with the construction of settlements on Palestinian land. We make those criticisms clearly and directly to the Israeli authorities, and in discussions in the EU and other relevant international fora. We do the same in relation to other countries.
