Watch: Dáil suspended during Israeli bonds bill debate
The Dáil was suspended for a time tonight during a debate on a bill brought forward by Sinn Féin which seeks to prevent the Irish Central Bank dealing with Israeli bonds.
They reacted after Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe detailed why the Government is opposing the Sinn Féin private members motion.
"And I hope the dog can appreciate this evening that any attempts by the Government to introduce measures outside the agreed legal framework in the area pose a significant policy risk," Minister Donohoe said.
In her opening comments, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said it is "shameful that the Irish State and Government would have any hand, act or part in supporting Israel's genocide".
However, Minister of State Marian Harkin said "any attempt [by Ireland] to act unilaterally on matters as sensitive and complex as financial restrictions could undermine the coalition we are trying to see form at EU level".
"Ireland has been painstakingly involved in helping to build this coalition, and in its context I think we have to prioritise coordinated action through the EU."
The debate on the Sinn Féin private members motion has concluded, with a vote to take place tomorrow night.
In his closing remarks, Sinn Fein's finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty accused the finance minister of delivering a speech which was "full of nonsense" and would come back to him.
He said: "What this legislation does is it prevents our Central Bank from approving the [Israeli bond] prospectus.... It would be up to Israel to go and apply to another home country which wanted to do that."
The Donegal deputy said: "We got a legal opinion from them, [Office of parliamentary legal of adviser] which said this legislation was constitutionally compliant, compliant with EU law, and according with international law."
Strongly criticising the coalition for not allowing the bill go to committee stage, he appealed to other deputies: "Stand on the right side of history and support this legislation."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
24 minutes ago
US trade talks on track but metals tariffs unhelpful
Trade talks between the European Union and the United States are moving in the right direction, the two sides' main negotiators have said. However, the EU said the doubling of US tariffs on metals did not help with the negotiations. The increase on steel and aluminium imports - from 25% to 50% - took effect on the same day that President Donald Trump's administration wants trading partners to make "best offers" to avoid other punishing levies from early July. Meanwhile, in another sign of disruption to global trade, concerns about the damage from China's restrictions on critical mineral exports deepened, with some European auto parts plants suspending output and German carmaker BMW warning that its supplier network was affected by shortages. In terms of tariff talks, EU negotiator Maroš Šefčovič said that a meeting with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Paris was constructive. "We both concluded that we are advancing in the right direction, at pace," Mr Šefčovič told reporters. Technical talks are ongoing in Washington, he added, and high-level contacts will follow. "What makes me optimistic is I see the progress ... the discussions are now very concrete," Mr Šefčovič said. He stressed that he and Mr Greer had agreed to restructure the focus of their talks after having been "approaching it from different angles". Mr Greer said the talks had been constructive, adding in a statement from his office that they demonstrated "a willingness by the EU to work with us to find a concrete way forward to achieve reciprocal trade". Mr Šefčovič said that he deeply regretted the doubling of tariffs, stressing that the EU has the same challenge - overcapacity - as the US on steel, and they should work together on that. Separately, President Trump described his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as tough and "extremely hard to make a deal with". "I like President Xi of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH," the US leader posted on Truth Social. The comments come days after President Trump accused China of violating an agreement to roll back tariffs and trade restrictions and after the White House raised expectations for a long-awaited phone call between the two leaders this week. A US trade court ruled last week that Mr Trump had overstepped his authority in imposing the bulk of his tariffs on imports from China and other countries under an emergency powers act. Less than 24 hours later, an appeals court reinstated the levies while it considers a government's appeal. US officials have been in talks with several countries since President Trump announced a pause on tariff hikes in April. However, only one - with the UK - has materialised and even that pact is essentially a preliminary framework for more talks. But British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was confident that US tariffs on UK steel would be reduced to zero within a "couple of weeks". Pressure is mounting as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, a 38-nation grouping of mostly developed countries, cut its global growth forecast on the back of the levies. Trade, consumption and investment have been affected by the tariffs, its Chief Economist Alvaro Pereira said, warning that the US economy will see the biggest repercussions. Mexico will request an exemption from the higher levies, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said, arguing that it is unfair because the US exports more steel to his country than it imports. "It makes no sense to put a tariff on a product in which you have a surplus," Mr Ebrard said. Elsewhere, uncertainty around US trade policy is creating havoc for businesses around the world. French spirits group Remy Cointreau abandoned its 2030 sales growth ambitions, saying tariffs, slow US sales and high uncertainty could derail its plans for this financial year and beyond. Austrian speciality steelmaker Voestalpine also warned that levies were likely to dent its earnings. "US producers will try to find suppliers that are not affected by the tariffs. If they find one, the German supplier is probably out," said German steel and metal processing association WSM, which represents around 5,000 companies. "Nobody has the margins to absorb these bottomless tariffs," according to WSM Managing Director Christian Vietmeyer.
39 minutes ago
Trinity College Dublin cuts ties with Israeli organisations
The governing body of Trinity College Dublin has voted to cease links with Israeli organisations with immediate effect. It means that TCD will not sign up to future exchange or research agreements with Israeli institutions, no longer use Israeli suppliers and divest from Israeli companies. Current research partnerships and contracts will be honoured but not renewed. The move follows recommendations from a taskforce which was established as part of an agreement to end the student Gaza solidarity encampment on the university campus in May 2024. It called for TCD to divest fully from all Israeli companies, no longer use Israeli suppliers and refuse to enter any new education of research collaborations with Israeli organisations. It also recommended that TCD join with other universities to push for an end to EU research collaboration with Israel. The taskforce was made up of 26 members including students, staff unions and senior leadership, and was chaired by former High Court president Mary Irvine. It met 14 times this year. The governing body voted to accept all of the group's recommendations after receiving its report. Academia for Palestine TCD welcomed the "historic decision" and described it "as an important step towards rejecting the normalisation of Israel's decades-long occupation, apartheid, ethnic cleansing and genocide against the people of Palestine". TCD is engaged in a number of EU-funded research consortia which include Israeli partners. The taskforce recommended that the university should not submit for approval or agree to participate in any new institutional research agreements involving Israel. It also called on TCD not to enter into any further mobility agreements with Israeli universities or new commercial relationships with Israeli entities. The university has two Erasmus+ exchange agreements with Israeli universities – one which will end this year, the other next year. Participation in these programmes has been on an inbound basis since September 2023. TCD has no current supply contracts with Israeli companies and will not enter into future supply deals with Israeli firms. The university has also already divested from Israeli companies on the UN blacklist but will fully divest from all companies headquartered in Israel. In a note to staff, Chairperson of the Board Paul Farrell said that "based on the strength of the evidence shared, and in line with the principles and procedures developed by the taskforce, the Board has accepted the recommendations set out in the report regarding institutional links with the State of Israel, Israeli universities and companies headquartered in Israel". These will be enacted for the duration of the ongoing violations of international and humanitarian law" and "will be kept under review by the Board," he said.
Irish Examiner
40 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
EU plans would extend right for 4m Ukrainians to stay in bloc until 2027
The European Commission has said more than four million Ukrainians living in the EU should have their right to stay extended until March 2027, while calling for efforts to promote voluntary returns to their home country. Temporary protection status for Ukrainians who fled after Russia's full-scale invasion of February 2022 would be extended by one year until March 2027, under a European Commission proposal published on Wednesday. EU member states must approve the extension, which applies to 4.3 million Ukrainians, one-third of whom are children. While calling for the extension, the commission also urged EU governments to think beyond the temporary fix by making it easier for Ukrainians to obtain other types of residence permits, such as work and student visas. It said governments should set up programmes to promote voluntary returns to Ukraine, including by supporting exploratory visits. Magnus Brunner, the EU's internal affairs commissioner, stressed that all returns would be voluntary and that ending temporary protection status would be a decision taken with EU member states and Ukraine 'once we have a stable situation'. The proposals came as Ukraine's government outlined plans for 'unity hubs' – community centres which will offer its citizens information about returning home and integrating into their host societies. The first unity hub is due to open this summer in Berlin, with others planned in Prague and Alicante. Ukraine's deputy prime minister, Oleksiy Chernyshov, told reporters: 'We desperately need Ukrainians back home once the war is over. We need to develop the Ukrainian economy, we need to transform Ukraine into a prosperous economy and develop democracy.' Chernyshov said that if Ukraine were to attain the 'quite achievable' goal of doubling the size of its economy in the decade after the war it could need an additional four million people in the labour market. 'Only the strong economy can pave the way to the future success of Ukraine and successful integration into the European Union,' he added. The proposals follow inconclusive talks in Istanbul, where Russia and Ukraine agreed only on a prisoner exchange, while Moscow refuses to compromise on its maximalist war aims, which include the recognition of four Ukrainian regions it claims, but does not fully occupy. Chernyshov noted that 'the results we are getting with these talks are not the ones that could have been achieved'. He said a voluntary returns programme being developed with UN agencies the IOM and UNHCR, would answer questions facing every Ukrainian family now in Europe: 'How they will return back home? What are going to be the possibilities and proposals for their job? Where are they going to live, where are their kids going to go to school. What is the healthcare system proposal – and so on.' The commission is releasing €4bn to support Ukrainians in the EU, on top of €15bn allocated to member states since 2022. The EU activated its temporary protection directive for Ukrainians in March 2022, in an unprecedented gesture of support. That temporary status has been extended several times, but several EU governments have begun exploring other options. In the Czech Republic, Ukrainians earning at least 440,000 Czech crowns (€17,700), with two years' residence, can now apply for a long-term residence permit. In Poland, Ukrainians who have had temporary protection for at least one year can apply for a three-year residence permit, although they would lose certain benefits such as free healthcare and a waiver on university tuition fees. Norway, which is outside the EU but operates a similar temporary protection scheme, announced last year it was tightening up rules, so Ukrainians from areas that are considered safe would be treated like any other asylum seeker and not automatically granted the right to stay. Support for Ukrainians in the EU remains high, but has ebbed since the early days of the invasion. By February 2024, 71% of people surveyed by Eurobarometer supported Ukrainian refugees, compared with 88% in the immediate aftermath of the invasion. - The Guardian Read More Zelensky calls Russia peace proposal an 'ultimatum' and demands talks with Putin
