The Tánaiste has committed to including the provision of services in new legislation to ban imports from Israeli settlements, provided the measure passes legal examination, reports Breaking News.
Simon Harris also expressed a desire to put pressure on the other 26 EU member states to explore banning trade with the occupied Palestinian territories and urged opposition parties to reach out to their European counterparts.
Mr Harris noted that Ireland is currently the only country to have introduced legislation aimed at banning imports from the occupied territories, saying the country is “pretty lonely out there,” and adding that it would be “a hell of a lot better” if Europe acted collectively, reports Breaking News.
Cabinet approved the legislation on Tuesday morning.
Mr Harris introduced the newly named Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025.
Rather than advancing the Occupied Territories Bill first proposed in 2018, the Government chose to draft a new piece of legislation, reports Breaking News.
The bill will now proceed to an Oireachtas committee for further scrutiny.
Mr Harris said that all Government TDs will be expected to support the bill, as it is a commitment under the Programme for Government.
“Let’s not forget one thing before we get into the detail of the legislation, there isn’t another country in the European Union that you can visit today and ask a government minister about their Bill to ban trade and the detail of it, because they don’t have one,” he added, reports Breaking News.
“We’re the first country in the European Union to take this step. We’re the first country in the European Union say, yes, trade is a European competency, and it’ll be a hell of a lot better if Europe moves together, and a hell of a lot more impactful.
“But in the absence of Europe moving together, we’re going to go ahead with our own domestic legislation.
“I would really ask the opposition here not to do this lazy politicking of you know, opposition good, government bad. Everybody in this country is sickened to the pit of their stomach with the genocide they see in Gaza,” reports Breaking News.
“They don’t care, the people of Ireland, who they vote for in an election in relation to this, they just know in their gut what is happening, particularly children in Gaza, is genocide is wrong, and everyone has to do everything they want.
“I have no policy difference, zero policy difference with the opposition in relation to the inclusion of services, but we do have a Constitution, we are members of the European Union, and I’m not in the business of putting together legislation that would fall at the first legal hurdle,” reports Breaking News.
“I presume everybody here wants to pass a law that is impactful, a law that is in compliance with the laws of our land,” reports Breaking News.
Earlier this week, Ireland and several other countries asked the European Commission to review how goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements can be aligned with international law.
Mr Harris stated that he does not believe the EU has ensured compliance with the International Court of Justice advisory opinion, reports Breaking News.
“We will do our own legislation, (I am) open to services, absolutely open to working constructively with the opposition, but also keep the pressure on at the European level,” he added.
“What I hope the opposition will be doing today, every opposition leader should be picking up the telephone, and they should be ringing their counterparts in European countries and saying, ‘hey, have you seen here in Ireland we’re bringing forward a domestic legislation, would you think about doing it yourself?” reports Breaking News.
“Because so far, it’s pretty lonely out there. There’s not one other country in Europe that has published any legislation to ban trade, and I’d really appreciate the opposition’s help with their counterparts in the 26 other European states,” reports Breaking News.
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