Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 9 September 2024
465. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of dual-use export licences granted for dual-use goods destined for the State of Israel from 1 January 2024 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34344/24]
View answerMy Department is the National Competent Authority with responsibility for Export Controls, including Controls on defence-related exports and exports of Dual-Use goods. Controls on the export of Dual-use items are administered by my Department, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council setting up a Union regime for the control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use items.
The bulk of Dual-use exports from Ireland are mainstream business ICT products, both hardware and software (networking, data storage, cybersecurity etc). They are categorised as Dual-use items as a consequence of fact that they incorporate strong encryption for ICT security purposes.
In the period 1 January 2024 to date, my Department has issued twenty-two individual dual-use export licences with a value of €30.3 million to end users in Israel. The majority of these exports are ICT hardware and software.
All export licence applications, including those indicating an end destination in Israel, are considered by my officials in accordance with criteria set out within the relevant dual-use and military EU and National Regulations and with Ireland’s international obligations and responsibilities as members of non-proliferation regimes and export control arrangements. On receipt of an application for an export licence, my officials carry out an assessment which includes a series of checks to ensure, as far as possible, that the item to be exported will be used by the stated end-user for the stated end-use and will not be used for illicit purposes.
As part of their assessment, my officials seek the views of the Department of Foreign Affairs in respect of all applications for export licences, including those destined for Israeli end users. Both my own Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs review all dual-use export licence applications against the eight assessment criteria set out in Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP – including “Respect for human rights in the country of final destination as well as respect by that country of international humanitarian law” and "Internal situation in the country of final destination, as a function of the existence of tensions or armed conflicts".
Accordingly, when making their assessment of an application, my officials are furnished with up-to-date information (including consultations with technical experts where relevant) which they take into account in the final risk assessment to determine whether or not to grant an export licence.
If there are any concerns that the goods being exported will be used for a military end-use or if the exporter does not provide enough information on the intended end-use for my officials to make an informed decision, the application for a licence is denied. Investigations are undertaken where there is a potential breach of the Dual Use Regulation.
In applying export controls in a robust and transparent way, the Department ensures that legitimate business transactions by reputable Irish traders are not damaged in any way while also ensuring that exports of controlled goods are thoroughly risk assessed in the context of ongoing conflicts, diversion of goods and humanitarian considerations.
