My Department is responsible for controls on the export of military and dual-use items from Ireland.
All export licence applications, whether for Dual-Use or Military Goods are subject to rigorous scrutiny, and are considered having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No. 428/2009, the 2008 EU Common Position on Arms Exports and EU sanctions regimes.
My officials are in regular contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on export licensing issues. They consulted with that Department in respect of all export licence applications in 2016 and 2017 where the destination of the items was Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates. My officials seek observations on any foreign policy concerns that may arise in respect of a proposed export; such factors are subject to review in the light of developments in a given region. Any observations which may arise from this examination are considered in the final assessment of any licence application.
Proposed exports of military and dual-use products to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as with all other destinations, are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. My Department has safeguards built into the licensing system which enable robust checks and cross-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.
The EU has a range of sanctions in place in respect of countries engaged in conflicts. All licence applications are considered having regard to these measures. Sanctions can include arms embargoes and various restrictive measures including prohibitions on the provision of targeted goods and services. There are currently no such sanctions in place in respect of Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates.
In 2016, twenty five individual licences were issued to export dual-use goods to Saudi Arabia. There were thirty six licences issued to export dual-use goods to the United Arab Emirates in 2016.
In 2017, twenty one individual licences were issued to export dual-use goods to Saudi Arabia. There were thirty six licences issued to export dual-use goods to the United Arab Emirates in 2017.
There were no licences issued for military classified goods in respect of Saudi Arabia or United Arab Emirates in 2016 or 2017.
