Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 January 2024
28. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the instances since 2020 whereby the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment have sought his Department’s input in respect of the granting of export licences for dual-use products to Israel; if he raised human rights concerns in relation to such; and if he advised against the granting of such export licences in any case. [3219/24]
View answerThe Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is the National Competent Authority with responsibility for exports of dual-use goods, and administers these controls in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021 setting up a Union regime for the control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use items.
The Department of Foreign Affairs does not advise the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with regards to the licence application outcome. However, the Department of Foreign Affairs reviews all dual-use export license applications received from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment , against the eight assessment criteria set out in Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP – criteria two of which is “Respect for human rights in the country of final destination as well as respect by that country of international humanitarian law”. Accordingly, the Department of Foreign Affairs raises relevant human rights considerations in respect of all export license applications received from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, including those concerning dual-use exports to Israel.
The Department of Foreign Affairs have provided 117 cases of foreign policy observations to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on dual-use export license applications to Israel since 2020; 36 in 2020, 22 in 2021, 31 in 2022, 27 in 2023, and 1 in 2024 as of 22 January 2024.
