Latest news with #MichealMartin
Belfast Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
Irish peacekeepers ‘safe and well' after shots fired close to patrol in Lebanon
The Irish Defence Forces said they have received reports that a number of shots were fired in the area of a joint Irish United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) and Lebanese Armed Forces patrol close to the Blue Line. It is understood the incident took place at around midday close to the village of Yaroun. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content None of the Irish personnel – who were recently deployed to Unifil as part of the 126th Infantry Battalion – were injured in the incident. In a statement, Oglaigh na hEireann said a number of small arms rounds were fired in the vicinity of the area where the patrol was operating. 'The patrol withdrew from the area, there were no injuries to the personnel on the patrol and no damage reported to the armoured vehicles they were operating from,' they said. 'All personnel of the Irish Contingent in Lebanon are reported to be safe and well, they continue to monitor the situation in southern Lebanon and are committed to the stability of the region as impartial peacekeepers. 'We wish to remind all actors of their responsibility to ensure the safety and security of UN peacekeepers.' We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Irish premier Micheal Martin said the firing of rounds in the vicinity of Unifil positions in Lebanon is 'completely unacceptable'. 'The safety of peacekeepers carrying out their mandated duties must be respected by all,' he said. 'Fortunately all Irish troops are safe and well.' Irish Minister for Defence Simon Harris said he has been briefed on the incident. 'I want to firstly send my best wishes to the Irish Defence Forces personnel affected in today's incident,' the Tanaiste said. 'While I am very pleased to report that all personnel are safe and well, the fact they came under fire while on patrol is deeply worrying. 'Today's incident illustrates the dangers that our peacekeepers face every single day while on a patrol in a region that has been increasingly unstable and volatile.' Earlier Mr Harris announced the renewal of Ireland's Unifil mandate for a further 12 months. 'Ireland is proud to have been part of the Unifil mission since 1978 with 30,000 personnel having served there to date,' he said. 'We are deeply committed to this vital mission, one that supports peace, delivers stability and protects the communities in southern Lebanon.'
Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Government accused of ‘water-weak' opposition to Israeli war bonds Bill
Sinn Fein's Restrictive Financial Measures (State of Israel) Bill 2025 is due to be voted on on Wednesday evening. The Government is to oppose the legislation and has described it as 'unworkable', with Taoiseach Micheal Martin accusing Sinn Fein of trying to 'drive a wedge' between the Irish public and Government. The Central Bank of Ireland is the designated authority in relation to the sale of Israel bonds in the EU. Israel bonds have been advertised as supporting the country's economy, and more recently, websites promoting the bonds emphasise their role in supporting Israel's military operation in Gaza. The Central Bank is responsible for assessing whether a prospectus for the offer of securities is in compliance with requirements of the EU Prospectus Regulation. Dublin's Central Bank said approval should not be viewed as 'an endorsement of the issuer'. Protesters have demonstrated outside the Central Bank and called for legislation that would give Ireland the power to refuse the sale of Israeli 'war bonds' over human rights concerns. In the Dail on Wednesday, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said Irish people may be 'horrified' to learn of the Central Bank's role in approving the bonds. She said these are used to raise money to pay for missiles, tanks, guns and drones that have killed tens of thousands of men, women and children in Gaza. 'Israel doesn't hide the purpose of these bonds,' she said. 'They emphasise 'the crucial role of Israel bonds during a time of conflict and war'. 'Israel openly invites people to invest in genocide.' She said a Sinn Fein Bill would enable the Minister for Finance to prevent the Central Bank from giving the permissions and approvals to sell the bonds and force them to seek permission from another country. She accused Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe of giving 'water-weak, mealy-mouthed and baseless excuses' for opposing the legislation. This includes that the Bill may be inconsistent with EU law and 'alarm' raised by Mr Donohoe that Ireland would be 'acting unilaterally' in prohibiting the Central Bank from giving permissions. She said as Ireland's Central Bank is the only bank giving approval for EU sale, it must by definition act unilaterally. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The Taoiseach accused Sinn Fein of trying to drive a wedge between the Government and the Irish public over what is happening in Gaza. He said: 'The Government has been demonstrating its leadership on human rights for quite some time, since this war began, very consistently, very strongly. 'We have been very consistent in our support of the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination, and in condemning the war crimes and the genocide that is occurring right now.' He said on this day last year, Ireland, Spain and Norway recognised the state of Palestine. 'There's a pattern, and the pattern is to try and drive a wedge between the Government here and the people of Ireland in respect of what Israel is doing in Gaza and trying to undermine the integrity and the commitment and good faith of the Government,' he said. 'So you bandy words around like 'facilitating and complicit in genocide, which are a false narrative.' Ms McDonald replied: 'You're right on one score, I have a very, very long and established pattern of harassing and haranguing successive Irish taoisigh and governments on their inaction on Palestine. 'The Central Bank approves the prospectus, which enables the sale of these war bonds. We want that to stop. It's as simple as that. 'Our legislation enables the Government, through the Minister for Finance, to put a stop to that. 'The Irish Central Bank, the Irish State should have no hand, act or part, however minor, in facilitating the sale of those bonds. That's what we want. 'I think it's very telling that at a time when a genocide has played out, live before the eyes of the world, the priority for the Taoiseach is a pat on the back for him and his Government. Shame on you. Act.' Mr Martin replied: 'No-one in this House should be looking for a pat on the back and no-one in this House should be seeking some sort of moral superiority over others.'
North Wales Chronicle
3 days ago
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
Irish Government to draft Bill to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements
Ireland's deputy premier and foreign affairs minister Simon Harris received Cabinet approval to draft the law on Tuesday. It is understood the Government Bill will ban the trade of goods but not services as the basis in EU law is much weaker for services than it is for goods. The Government has opted for fresh legislation instead of progressing the Occupied Territories Bill, first tabled in 2018. The Government has said there is 'a narrow pathway', based on an advisory opinion from the UN's top court, to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said last July that countries should 'take steps to prevent trade or investment relations' that maintain Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, which it deemed illegal. Mr Harris said that the Government had 'not yet been able to identify the narrow pathway on services' but that there is a legal 'pathway' to ban the trade of goods. He said he believed Ireland would become the first country in the western world to consider such legislation and said he hoped it would encourage other countries to do likewise. Speaking on RTE's Six One News, Mr Harris claimed there was 'no policy difference' between himself and Senator Frances Black, who had brought forward a Bill that would also include services. He said: 'I want to do everything humanly possible to help maximise the pressure for a ceasefire and an end to the violence and the war crimes that are happening in Gaza. 'But what I also want to make sure is that the Bill doesn't fall at the first legal hurdle and I want to produce legislation that's impactful, that could inspire other European nations to join us as well in bringing forward similar legislation. 'And at the moment, the legal opinion that I have is that it's impossible to do goods under EU law because of the ICJ judgments, but it may not be in relation to services.' However, the Tanaiste said he 'would like to be proven wrong' if there is a pathway on services. Irish premier Micheal Martin told the Dail parliament that there is 'very little' trade between Ireland and the occupied territories but said the ban was an important symbolic move. He was responding to questions from Social Democrats TD Sinead Gibney who said that the Dail was 'running out of time' to pass the goods ban before the summer recess. 'Just for the record, there is no major trade between Ireland and the occupied territories, there is very little actually,' Taoiseach Micheal Martin said on Tuesday. He added: 'But that's not the point, the point is it is a symbolic move and that is important in itself.' In relation to Sinn Fein's Bill that aims to give Ireland's Finance Minister the powers to impose restrictive measures on securities issued by or on behalf of Israel, the Government said the proposals were 'unworkable'. Mr Martin said the legislation proposed by Sinn Fein was 'simply unworkable' and 'has been written in a manner that in no shape or form could ever be made workable'. He said it does not focus on Israel 'at all' and said the review of the EU-Israel Association could have a 'far greater influence'. A Government spokesperson said the proposed Sinn Fein Bill was asking for an activity that does not take place in Ireland – Israeli bonds are not listed on the Irish Stock Exchange nor are they available to purchase through any regulated entity in the State – to end. The spokesperson said that the Bill does not prevent securities or bonds from the Israeli state being issued nor does it prevent Israel from raising money by selling bonds.
Belfast Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Irish Government to draft bill to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements
Ireland's deputy premier and foreign affairs minister Simon Harris received Cabinet approval to draft the law on Tuesday. It is understood the Government bill will ban the trade of goods but not services as the basis in EU law is much weaker for services than it is for goods. The Government has opted for fresh legislation instead of progressing the Occupied Territories Bill, first tabled in 2018. The Government has said there is 'a narrow pathway', based on an advisory opinion from the UN's top court, to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said last July that countries should 'take steps to prevent trade or investment relations' that maintain Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, which it deemed illegal. Mr Harris said that the Government had 'not yet been able to identify the narrow pathway on services' but that there is a legal 'pathway' to ban the trade of goods. He said he believed Ireland would become the first country in the western world to consider such legislation and said he hoped it would encourage other countries to do likewise. Irish premier Micheal Martin told the Dail parliament that there is 'very little' trade between Ireland and the occupied territories but said the ban was an important symbolic move. He was responding to questions from Social Democrats TD Sinead Gibney who said that the Dail was 'running out of time' to pass the goods ban before the summer recess. 'Just for the record, there is no major trade between Ireland and the occupied territories, there is very little actually,' Taoiseach Micheal Martin said on Tuesday. He added: 'But that's not the point, the point is it is a symbolic move and that is important in itself.' In relation to Sinn Fein's bill that aims to give Ireland's Finance Minister the powers to impose restrictive measures on securities issued by or on behalf of Israel, the Government said the proposals were 'unworkable'. Mr Martin said the legislation proposed by Sinn Fein was 'simply unworkable' and 'has been written in a manner that in no shape or form could ever be made workable'. He said it does not focus on Israel 'at all' and said the review of the EU-Israel Association could have a 'far greater influence'. A Government spokesperson said the proposed Sinn Fein bill was asking for an activity that does not take place in Ireland – Israeli bonds are not listed on the Irish Stock Exchange nor are they available to purchase through any regulated entity in the State – to end. The spokesperson said that the bill does not prevent securities or bonds from the Israeli state being issued nor does it prevent Israel from raising money by selling bonds.
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Irish Government to draft bill to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements
Ireland's deputy premier and foreign affairs minister Simon Harris received Cabinet approval to draft the law on Tuesday. It is understood the Government bill will ban the trade of goods but not services as the basis in EU law is much weaker for services than it is for goods. Ireland's deputy premier and foreign affairs minister Simon Harris received Cabinet approval to draft the legilsation (David Young/PA) The Government has opted for fresh legislation instead of progressing the Occupied Territories Bill, first tabled in 2018. The Government has said there is 'a narrow pathway', based on an advisory opinion from the UN's top court, to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said last July that countries should 'take steps to prevent trade or investment relations' that maintain Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, which it deemed illegal. Mr Harris said that the Government had 'not yet been able to identify the narrow pathway on services' but that there is a legal 'pathway' to ban the trade of goods. He said he believed Ireland would become the first country in the western world to consider such legislation and said he hoped it would encourage other countries to do likewise. Irish premier Micheal Martin told the Dail parliament that there is 'very little' trade between Ireland and the occupied territories but said the ban was an important symbolic move. He was responding to questions from Social Democrats TD Sinead Gibney who said that the Dail was 'running out of time' to pass the goods ban before the summer recess. 'Just for the record, there is no major trade between Ireland and the occupied territories, there is very little actually,' Taoiseach Micheal Martin said on Tuesday. He added: 'But that's not the point, the point is it is a symbolic move and that is important in itself.' In relation to Sinn Fein's bill that aims to give Ireland's Finance Minister the powers to impose restrictive measures on securities issued by or on behalf of Israel, the Government said the proposals were 'unworkable'. Mr Martin said the legislation proposed by Sinn Fein was 'simply unworkable' and 'has been written in a manner that in no shape or form could ever be made workable'. He said it does not focus on Israel 'at all' and said the review of the EU-Israel Association could have a 'far greater influence'. A Government spokesperson said the proposed Sinn Fein bill was asking for an activity that does not take place in Ireland – Israeli bonds are not listed on the Irish Stock Exchange nor are they available to purchase through any regulated entity in the State – to end. The spokesperson said that the bill does not prevent securities or bonds from the Israeli state being issued nor does it prevent Israel from raising money by selling bonds.
