Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
313. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Finance the amount of Irish taxpayers' money currently invested in companies which derive profit from their activities in illegal Israeli settlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15312/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am assuming that the Deputy is referring specifically to companies that derive profit from activities in illegal Israeli settlements, as defined by the database maintained by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
On the 20th of March 2024, the Director of the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) attended the Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach meeting on Pre-Committee Stage Scrutiny of the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023. At that Committee meeting, the ISIF Director outlined that as at 31 December 2023 the ISIF’s direct investments in companies on the UN database totalled approximately €4.2 million in 11 companies. He also outlined that the ISIF’s indirect investments include 8 companies totalling approximately €9.4 million.
ISIF has since taken an investment decision to divest from six of these companies with a total value of approximately €2.95m. The six companies are: Bank Hapoalim BM; Bank Leumi-le Israel BM; Israel Discount Bank Ltd.; Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd.; First International Bank Ltd.; and Rami Levi Chain Stores Ltd.
