O'Gorman says legal advice on Occupied Territories Bill did not mention issue with services
O'Gorman said the issues the government are now claiming exist in relation to services have only emerged since the last general election.
'It's a delaying tactic,' he said.
The Occupied Territories Bill, in its initial form, would ban trade in goods and services with illegal settlements anywhere in the world, but most notably in Palestine.
Passing the Bill, which has been in existence since 2018, was a promise made by the governing parties ahead of the general election last year.
But it has yet to be passed or even drafted because of what the government has described as 'constitutional issues' and complications related to the inclusion of services alongside goods.
Speaking on The Week in Politics on RTÉ today, O'Gorman said that when he was in government, legal advice provided by the Attorney General in July last year 'raised some issues' with the original draft of the bill, which he said were 'legitimate issues that can be addressed by amendment'.
Advertisement
However, he added: 'There was no reference to an issue around services in his very detailed legal advice.
'This is a new issue that has been brought in subsequent to the general election, a general election where Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael made extensive commitments about passing the Occupied Territories Bill and, to my mind, it's a delaying tactic.
'The Government have said they will publish a draft before summer, they haven't promised to pass it.
'This is about kicking the can down the road,' he added, adding that the Bill could be passed by the summer 'if there was the will'.
The government has been asked repeatedly for the legal advice it has received in relation to services to be published in order to put the matter to bed.
Minister for State Hildegarde Naughton was asked if the government would be willing to publish the advice that has led to the delays in producing a new version of the bill.
'I have no issue with that,' Naughton said, but she pushed back on the suggestion that the government was delaying putting forward the bill.
'This is not a policy difference – I want to be very clear – around goods and services, this is about ensuring that we get that legislation right,' she said.
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More
Support The Journal
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
6 hours ago
- The Journal
Foreign Affairs Committee recommends inclusion of services in Israeli settlements trade ban
A COMMITTEE HAS 'unanimously' recommended that services should be included in the Government's proposed ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements, a TD has said. The Oireachtas Foreign Affairs committee is making the recommendation after hearing evidence from expert witnesses in relation to the Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025. The report containing the recommendation is expected to be published next Wednesday. The Irish Government has said it will legislate to ban the trade of goods with illegal Israeli settlements following an advisory opinion from the UN's top court. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said last year that countries should 'take steps to prevent trade or investment relations' that maintain illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. Although the opinion does not differentiate between types of trade, government figures have indicated a ban on services is more legally complex. Sinn Féin TD and member of the committee Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said the 'vitally important' recommendation to include services received 'no push back' from any committee member. He said that could encompass services across financial, tech and accommodation sectors. Advertisement 'Clearly, morally, the same issue arises whether it is goods or services, you're still trading with illegal settlements that are undermining the potential for peace in the Middle East.' He lamented the humanitarian disaster and widespread starvation in Gaza in what he called 'human rights abuses upon human rights abuses' in the Palestinian enclave. The foreign affairs committee's recommendation has been welcomed by Christian Aid Ireland as 'hugely significant'. The charity's head of policy Conor O'Neill said: 'Despite all the spin, misinformation and threats, TDs and senators from both Government and opposition spent weeks looking at the Occupied Territories Bill in detail, weighing up the evidence, hearing from experts and considering the impact. 'They have said unequivocally: it is time to ban all trade with the illegal Israeli settlements, both goods and services, in line with international law. 'This is a crucial vote of confidence and a clear message to Government that we must do this right. 'Ultimately it doesn't matter whether you're importing a box of olives produced on stolen Palestinian farmland, or booking a holiday rental in a stolen Palestinian home on a service platform like Airbnb. 'A euro of support is a euro of support, and the ICJ was clear that all of it has to end. The Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee have upheld this very strongly today, and Government must listen. 'We need to pass a full, effective Occupied Territories Bill as a matter of urgency.'
Irish Independent
10 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Oireachtas Committee to recommend Government include services in Occupied Territories Bill
The Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee is to recommended the inclusion of services as well as goods in the Government's version of the Occupied Territories Bill.
Irish Times
13 hours ago
- Irish Times
Will Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin abstain from the presidential race?
Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: With Independent TD Catherine Connolly and former MEP Mairead McGuinness having declared their candidacy, there will now be at least two names in the race for the Áras. But with no sign yet of a clear candidate for Fianna Fáil or Sinn Féin, are any of the potential names currently being discussed likely to gain party support? Fianna Fáil's Niall Collins would be 'very uncomfortable' with a one-size-fits-all approach to a blanket VAT cut for the hospitality sector, given that luxury and five-star hotels would benefit from a measure they don't necessarily need. Some Fine Gael Ministers are unhappy with Mr Collins for criticising a policy that would help support entry-level jobs in rural Ireland. And as the humanitarian crisis deepens in Gaza , urgency around the Occupied Territories Bill increases. The inclusion of services is still the big question given the huge potential knock-on effects for some businesses here. Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week: A new exhibition exploring the legacy of the Magdalene Laundries , fifty years since the release of Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , and Joe Canning's take on Tipperary's triumph in the All-Ireland hurling final against Cork.
