EC welcomes steps taken by Ireland to reform litigation costs
In its annual report on law developments across the EU, it notes moves to reform the Defamation Act to improve the professional environment for journalists.
This year's Rule of Law Report is the first to be published under the Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath.
It says there has been progress in providing appropriate funding for public service media, supporting its remit while safeguarding its independence.
The Commission also encourages Ireland to complete ongoing reforms, including efforts to address legal obstacles to funding for civil society organisations, as part of the reform of the Electoral Act.
Commissioner McGrath said: "We cannot ignore that in some member states, serious concerns remain.
"These are addressed through the recommendations in this year's report. The recommendations form the basis for constructive dialogue.
"In our union, dialogue always comes first – but it must lead to results. That is why we pair dialogue with decisive action. Where necessary, I am ready to use all available tools, including infringement proceedings, to ensure the rule of law is upheld."
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The Journal
37 minutes ago
- The Journal
Irish sovereign wealth fund pumped millions into companies contracted by Israel Defence Forces
IRELAND'S SOVEREIGN WEALTH fund, the Irish Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF), still has holdings in companies with links to Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory. In 2024, then-Minister for Finance Michael McGrath announced that the fund had divested from five companies that are linked to settlement activity that is considered illegal under international law. But the ISIF continues to invest in eight other companies named on a United Nations database - a key document that highlights businesses and parent companies whose subsidiaries enable the continued existence of Israeli settlements. By the end of 2023, the total value of these investments was more than €10 million. As part of a new investigation, The Journal Investigates looked at how much Ireland is investing in these companies and how they are linked to illegal settler activity in Palestine. Many of these investments are in multinationals, but two in particular are in companies that hold contracts with the Israel Defence Forces (IDF): Delek Group and Motorola Solutions Inc. The value of the ISIF's investments in these two companies alone was almost €5 million -roughly the same amount as the State's sovereign wealth fund invested in the other six companies combined. — Investigations like this don't happen without your support… Impactful investigative reporting is powered by people like you. Support The Journal Investigates Advertisement IDF vehicles Out of the eight companies that the ISIF invests in, just one is based solely in Israel: Delek Group, the owner of a chain of petrol stations that was founded in the country in the early 1950s. The ISIF's investment in the company is indirect, which means that it did not directly buy shares or provide capital to Delek, but instead invested in it through an intermediary such as a fund or financial institution that handles investment decisions on Ireland's behalf. As of 2023, the State indirectly invested around €214,000 in Delek, which is best-known in Israel as the operator of a chain of filling stations and convenience stores. A search of Google Maps shows that it operates a handful of these petrol stations in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. Google Maps Google Maps However, the company is also linked to the activities of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF): under a contract agreed in 2020, the IDF listed Delek as one of two companies whose petrol stations are allowed to be used by military vehicles to refuel. Delek also reportedly holds other contracts with the Israeli defence industry, according to WhoProfits , an independent group dedicated to 'exposing the role of the private sector in the Israeli occupation economy' through a database. The database has been consulted by the international BDS movement, and WhoProfits has been repeatedly highlighted by the United Nations, including in a report last week by the current Special Rapporteur for Palestine Francesca Albanese. The Journal Investigates contacted Delek Group for comment, but no response was received by the time of publication, and no other recent statements on the company's position about its activities in occupied Palestinian territories could be found. Surveillance systems and checkpoints US-based technology firm Motorola Solutions and its subsidiary, Motorola Solutions Israel, are among just six companies that appear on the UN database for supplying security. The Irish government holds millions in both direct and indirect investments in the parent company. It should not be confused with the telecoms company of the same name, from whom it split in 2011, Motorola Solutions specialises in security products and systems such as video equipment and command centre technology. Sign up The Journal Investigates is dedicated to lifting the lid on how Ireland works. Our newsletter gives you an inside look at how we do this. Sign up here... Sign up .spinner{transform-origin:center;animation:spinner .75s infinite linear}@keyframes spinner{100%{transform:rotate(360deg)}} You are now signed up It holds contracts worth hundreds of millions of Euro with Israel's government and military, and its systems are used extensively throughout the occupied territories, along the separation wall in the West Bank, and at Israeli military bases. The company provides everything from surveillance systems, radar detectors, and mobile communications systems to Israelis living in illegal settlements and the Israel Defence Forces. In a 2012 UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine Richard Falk, named Motorola Solutions Israel as 'sustaining the settlements' and limiting 'the Palestinians' freedom of movement within their territory'. Like Delek Group, the company's activities have also been extensively detailed by WhoProfits. Motorola Solutions has been named as 'the sole supplier of the 4G cellular network for the Israeli military' as well as the sole supplier of Israeli military smartphones after it was given a contract worth $100 million to do so. Human rights groups have also highlighted how the company's MotoEagle Wide Area Surveillance System – which uses radars and cameras to detect movements - has been used as a 'virtual fence system' in dozens of illegal settlements. In addition, Motorola has longstanding contracts with the Israel Prison Service and the country's Population and Immigration Authority – including communications equipment at prisons like Ofer in the West Bank, where Palestinians are held in military detention. As of 2023, the Irish government directly invested around €700,000 and held €3.9 million worth of indirect investments in the company. The Journal Investigates contacted Motorola Solutions for comment, but no response was received by the time of publication. The company has previously told a number of outlets that it supports 'efforts in the region to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict'. The Journal Investigates Reporter: Stephen McDermott • Investigation Editor: Sinead O'Carroll • The Journal Investigates Editor: Maria Delaney • Social Media: Cliodhna Travers • Main Image Design: Lorcan O'Reilly Investigations like this don't happen without your support... Impactful investigative reporting is powered by people like you. Over 5,000 readers have already supported our mission with a monthly or one-off payment. Join them here: Support The Journal
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘We do not support Putin': On board the sanctioned Russian ship in Killiney Bay
With his unkempt, sea-blown hair, barrel chest and bare feet, captain Vladimir Martus looks every inch the grizzled mariner as he stands at the helm of the Shtandart, which spent the last two days anchored in Killiney Bay. His appearance is well earned. The Shtandart, an exact replica of the first flagship of the Russian navy which was constructed by tsar Peter the Great in 1703, has only docked at port a handful of times in the last year. This is not by choice. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 , the Shtandart was a Russian-flagged ship and thus fell under subsequent EU sanctions, preventing it from doing business with member states or docking in their ports. Martus, from St Petersburg in Russia, attempted to rectify this in 2024 by reflagging the ship with that of the Cook Islands. However, in June 2024 the European Commission amended its sanctions to include 'replicas of historical ships' that were flagged as Russian at the time of the invasion. READ MORE As a result, the Shtandart had been refused permission to dock at most EU ports it has visited. Instead, it anchors out at sea while crew and supplies are ferried aboard by dinghy. It arrived in Killiney Bay off south Dublin on Monday, having sailed from La Rochelle and Saint-Malo in France where it had been denied permission to dock. On Tuesday, curious onlookers gathered along Vico Road to take photos of the strange, anachronistic vessel anchored a few hundred metres from the sea baths. On board, Martus is exasperated. He rails against accusations the Shtandart is a Russian 'propaganda' vessel. It is a training ship, on which international crews learn the art of seafaring, he says. He pulls up a copy of the crew manifest. Six are from Russia, while the rest of the 16 members are from all over the world, including the UK, China, Japan and the US. Most the crew appear young and inexperienced. They range in age from 18 to 75, Martus explains. Conditions on board the ship are basic and cramped, all in the name of authenticity. The anchor and helm are operated by ropes, just like on the original, while the crew sleep cheek-by-jowl in hammocks below deck. Iron cannons line the deck. There are just a few concessions to modernity. Unlike the sailors of Peter the Great, they have on-board toilets and a flat-screen television in the galley. Martus says he built the Shtandart, which launched in St Petersburg in 1999, with his own hands. 'I cut down the trees myself,' he says. The ship is undoubtedly a symbol of Russian naval strength. But Martus argues it is more symbolic of the links between Russia and Europe. The original was copied directly from a Dutch ship commissioned by William of Orange and was part of Peter the Great's efforts to open up his empire to European influences (Martus does concede, however, that the original Shtandart was also used against Sweden in the Great Northern War). Captain Vladimir Martus, with the Shtandart in the background, in Killiney Bay in south Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times 'We do not support Putin,' he says, adding that he is against the war in Ukraine. His father was from Ukraine and he has a cousin fighting with the Ukrainian armed forces. The house of his aunt and uncle in Donetsk was recently hit by a Russian missile, he says. The captain alleges individuals have been running a 'campaign' against the ship and creating a distorted picture of its purpose in EU countries. The 'No Shtandart in Europe' campaign presents a different picture of the ship and its captain. It has accused Martus of violating maritime law and has called on the Irish authorities to ban the vessel from its waters entirely. 'Subsequently, if the Shtandart continues to access prohibited waters and ports, Vladimir Martus should be arrested and expelled to Russia,' the campaign said. Martus says he has not bothered to seek permission to dock in Dublin, as he knows it will be denied. The ship's next stop is Aberdeen but it may have to stop somewhere in Ireland along the way to take on fresh drinking water, he says. He hopes this will be permitted for humanitarian reasons. The ship also has to get rid of a significant amount of rubbish. [ Russia denies stalling peace efforts amid claims it has made fresh gains in Ukraine Opens in new window ] On Tuesday morning, the Shtandart was hailed by the Irish Naval Service ship LÉ Aoibhinn. Martus was interrogated about his intentions. 'We had half an hour radio communication. They were very friendly and wished us well,' he says. In response to queries, the Department of Transport, which regulates marine traffic, said it is aware of the Shtandart's arrival off south Dublin. It said that, according to information from third party sources, the ship is registered under a Russian flag and is therefore likely to be subject to sanctions. A department spokesman said it has contacted all east coast ports under its remit to 'ensure appropriate measures are taken'. Martus has two court cases pending in Europe against the sanctions regime, which he argues does not apply to wooden vessels. He says he is worried about the future of the ship. 'Either these cases succeed or the war ends; I don't know.' Meanwhile, Fine Gael TD for Dún Laoghaire Barry Ward wrote to Timmy Dooley, Minister of State with responsibility for Marine Affairs, calling for the 'urgent' removal of the ship from Irish waters. 'The captain of this ship is showing clear disregard for the EU sanctions, and this arrogance and perception of impunity cannot be permitted,' Ward said. The ship departed Killiney Bay at about 3pm on Tuesday and set sail for Aberdeen in Scotland. Locals seemed more relaxed about the Shtandart's presence on Tuesday, with some going out of their way to offer assistance. Martus points to buckets of fresh crabs and lobsters 'donated by friendly fisherman'. One of the ship's younger crew members, an American man, wore a tweet jacket he had just purchased while ashore. The shop owner had thrown in a cloth cap for free, he says. 'I love your country.' At the Vico Baths, local woman Niamh Wyatt said that on Monday she brought crew members to West Wood gym for hot showers and to a laundromat to clean their clothes. 'They're lovely,' she says. 'I feel bad for them.'
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Hungary's failure to tackle high-level corruption a concern, EU report says
A continued failure by Hungary to tackle cases of high-level corruption remains a 'concern' for the European Union , a new report has said. Hungary's far-right government, led by populist prime minister Viktor Orban , was criticised for overseeing a 'deteriorating environment' for civil-society organisations in the central European country. A report assessing the rule of law across the EU said judges in Hungary faced 'undue pressure' and people believed there was a high level of corruption in the public sector. EU commissioner for justice Michael McGrath said it was 'deeply disappointing' that the situation in Hungary had not improved over the last year. READ MORE The recent attempt to ban the LGBT+ Pride parade in Budapest was a further example that Hungary had slipped backwards, he said. The EU's annual rule of law report said the number of people convicted in Hungary over corruption charges had decreased, though the number of initial indictments remained high. The risk of 'political influence and undue interference' on police investigators and prosecutors was worrying, the report said. The lack of investigations into alleged corruption by high-ranking Hungarian officials and those in their close circles 'remain areas of concern', the report said. It also raised fears about 'clientelism, favouritism and nepotism' in the Hungarian public administration. Ongoing concerns about the government undermining the rule of law and civil society has led to €18 billion of EU funding due to Hungary being frozen by the European Commission , the union's executive arm that proposes and enforces EU laws. 'Concerns related to the absence of procedural safeguards and effective oversight in case of secret surveillance measures outside criminal proceedings have not been addressed,' the report said. The commission's report criticised prime minister Robert Fico 's populist government in Slovakia for putting further pressure on civil-society groups and making it more difficult for independent journalists to work. There had been no progress made to improve the investigation and prosecution of cases involving high-level corruption, the report said. The power of a prosecutor general in Slovakia to annul the final decisions of lower-level prosecutors was concerning, it added. Speaking in Strasbourg, Mr McGrath said work to improve the rule of law had picked 'the low-hanging fruit' over recent years. Progress national capitals were being asked to make on other recommendations for 'deeper, more structural' reforms would take longer. The EU report said large publicly-funded contracts and infrastructure projects were sectors vulnerable to corruption in Spain. It noted that a previous survey had found many companies felt corruption had prevented them from winning public contracts in the last three years. There had been 'limited progress' bringing in comprehensive rules governing political lobbying in Italy, the report said. There were similar shortcomings in Bulgaria's effort to ensure a higher standard of integrity across government.
