Legislation restricting trade with occupied territories planned before summer break, says Tánaiste

Irish Times

07-05-2025

Tánaiste
Simon Harris
has said that he intends to seek
Government
agreement to draft legislation restricting trade with the
occupied territories
before the summer break.
It comes as Senator
Frances Black
, who first introduced legislation to restrict such trade in 2018, urged that the legislation be brought forward before the
Dáil
rose for its summer break – but also that it be sent to the Foreign Affairs Committee for pre-legislative scrutiny beforehand as well.
The Tánaiste said on Wednesday afternoon that he intends to seek Cabinet approval to draft legislation 'very quickly', outlining that he wanted to do so within weeks and before the Oireachtas breaks up for the summer.
'There is a very narrow route to getting a Bill that is legally robust,' he said. He said he will meet Ms Black again next week and indicate a timeline on moving forward with the legislation.
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The Tánaiste said there was 'legal concern' over the matter of restricting trade in just goods, or in goods and services. 'There is a view legally available to Government that there might be a narrow way moving forward on goods but the way on services isn't as clear.'
Speaking on Wednesday, Ms Black said her preference was for legislation on both goods and services. She said it was 'vital we have to see this legislation moved in the Dáil before the summer recess'.
'I want a full ban on trade on goods and services,' she said. 'I'm going to be continuing to fight for that.'
'I really want them to do this as soon as possible in fact I want this done before the summer recess,' she said.
'I'd like it introduced and to to the Foreign Affairs Committee and into pre-legislative scrutiny before the recess,' she said.
Ms Black said: 'I will be keeping the pressure on we should have passed this bill seven years ago and the second best time is now – we need it done urgently.'
Israel
's security Cabinet has unanimously approved a plan to expand military operations in
Gaza
, including seizing territory in Gaza; moving the Gazan population south, denying Hamas the ability to distribute humanitarian supplies and carrying out powerful strikes against militants.
Mr Harris said Israel's intended actions would cause a 'scale of further catastrophe that is almost unimaginable in terms of the impact on civilians'.
He said it was 'sickening' and 'despicable' and a 'clear breach of international law and does of course constitute a war crime'.
Mr Harris said he had been working with other countries to build a coalition to speak out in relation to the latest development, pointing to a joint statement from six EU countries decrying Israel's statements.
He
welcomed that the Netherlands had indicated that the EU should review the trade association
agreement between the bloc and Israel, which Spain and Ireland had been calling for.
'That has human rights clauses in it, the human rights clauses aren't in it to make the agreement longer or for padding. They're real, they're meaningful, and they can't be ignored.'
Ireland has previously written to the EU calling for a review of the operation of the human rights clauses in the association agreement, and Mr Harris indicated that he would be reiterating this call.
'I want to see if a number of countries are now willing to restate what Ireland has already stated on this matter,' he said, adding that it has so far been a 'minority view' within the EU. 'Ireland has been clear, Spain has been clear, the Netherlands has been clear today,' he said.
'I hope other countries that are like-minded in relation to this situation, like Slovenia, like Luxembourg, may also be willing to give consideration to this,' he said.