Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 April 2025
123. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for an update on the progress of the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018. [15541/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs these are questions for the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Simon Harris, it is an appropriate time to extend our sympathies and our solidarity to the people of Myanmar and Thailand in the context of what they are currently experiencing. It is a real catastrophe and there is huge human suffering.
The question I bring to the Minister is the same question I brought to him six weeks ago during our previous session, and it relates to the occupied territories Bill. In the interim, unfortunately, the ceasefire that held at that stage is no longer. Hundreds of people, if not more, have died. It is important that Ireland takes a strong stand on that.
I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire and I join him in extending the sympathies of everyone in this House and everyone in this country to the people of Myanmar and Thailand after the horrific earthquake and the devastation it has caused. My Department has moved swiftly on behalf of the Irish people to provide €6 million in emergency assistance as part of the international effort. Of course this country stands ready to do more and do all we can to help. I join the Deputy in that.
I thank the Deputy for the question. At the outset, I want to underline that I am extremely concerned by the extraordinarily negative trajectory - in fact, that phrase does not even capture it - of the situation on the ground in Israel and Palestine. I fully endorse the very clear message conveyed by the EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee following their meeting in Cairo on 23 March. They condemned the resumption of conflict and violence and the bombardment and the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure. They called for a return to the full implementation of the ceasefire, the hostage release agreement leading to the release of all hostages, a permanent end to hostilities, and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. There was also categorical rejection of any displacement or expulsion of the Palestinian people out of their territory, both Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
My focus and that of the Government is on supporting international efforts to bring about the immediate cessation of hostilities, a return to the ceasefire, the full implementation of the hostage release agreement, including the release of hostages, and the resumption of humanitarian access at scale, which is so badly needed. I also want to get to a point where we can work with Arab nations on the Arab plan for the future of Gaza.
I assure the Deputy that the programme for Government sets out a commitment to progress legislation on the occupied Palestinian territories following the July 2024 International Court of Justice advisory opinion. That remains the commitment. I am meeting the sponsor of the current occupied territories Bill next Tuesday - this day week - and I look forward to exchanging thoughts and insights with Senator Black on that occasion.
It is vitally important the international community uses every lever possible to put pressure on for the resumption of the ceasefire, to stop the hostilities, and for the release of the hostages.
I suppose we are back to this issue time and again. Unfortunately, we are back to dealing with the consequences of the Israeli Government feeling as if it can act with impunity. That is why the occupied territories Bill matters. It is about ensuring international law applies. Too often the Israeli Government is flouting international law very significantly, obviously in Gaza and the West Bank currently. Time and again the position of the Government seems to have been that these are issues of technical difficulties and so on. That seems to have ultimately disappeared. It now seems the Government has changed its position in terms of substance and no longer believes it is necessary to ban services. Whatever of that, and we can discuss this more, commitments were given - or so it was reported - to groups in the United States that this Bill has been shelved . What is the timescale for the progress of the Government Bill? The Bill that is already on the Order Paper should be proceeded with. What is the timescale we have?
I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire. I assure him there is no change in the Government’s position on engaging with the US or anywhere else. I have spoken to the Taoiseach about the conversations and understand that he reiterated the programme for Government commitment to introducing legislation in this area. I agree with the Deputy that international law does matter and that is why Ireland has joined the ICJ case and is standing very resolutely behind international law. It is also why Ireland did a lot of work with European nations on agreeing the joint position paper. It was agreed unanimously by all 27 EU member states. I refer to the EU’s position on Israel and the Middle East. A lot of work went into it.
The Deputy asked a very fair question on the timeline for introducing legislation. I want to have a meeting with Senator Black next week. I commit to coming back to the Deputy after that meeting on the next steps. I do believe a Government Bill will be necessary. That is my truthful position on this. I have been clear in that regard. I would like to get the committee up and running and get the heads of a Bill to it as quickly as possible. However, I will revert to the Deputy.
I appreciate that. If it were as simple as whether it is a Government or Opposition Bill, this might be a less contentious debate, but the reality is that there is a difference in substance, one that has never really been justified. I do not know whether the Tánaiste wants to take the opportunity to justify the distinction between goods and services at this juncture.
I invite the Tánaiste to remark on the scenes outside the Dáil yesterday involving Mothers Against Genocide and particularly on what is reported to have occurred afterwards, namely, strip-searching and, in one instance, cavity-searching. I am aware that a complaint has gone to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC. It is very worrying and I invite the Tánaiste’s comments on it because it is something we do not want to see.
I thank the Deputy.
I have ten seconds left.
I have allowed latitude.
How does the Tánaiste justify the difference in substance between goods and services, because it has no basis in the ICJ judgment?
As the Deputy suggested, I am happy to tease through and debate those issues when we publish and introduce legislation. I do want to engage with Senator Black. I have been in contact with her directly in recent days and look forward to meeting her on the issue next Tuesday. Of course, I would much rather be in a position in which we could in this House say the ceasefire is holding, the hostages have been released, the humanitarian aid is flowing and we have an Arab plan. Six weeks ago, it was beginning to look like we were moving in that direction, but things have moved in a very bad direction since then, to put it mildly.
On protests, I do not want to say anything that cuts across what are likely to be ongoing investigations by, I presume, GSOC and others. Protest has a very important role to play in any democracy. This is a proud, enduring democracy and people feel extraordinarily strongly and passionate about what they see in regard to Gaza and children. The Garda has a job to do, so I need to allow GSOC to examine the matter. People obviously have a right to protest.
