03-07-2025
Ban on services from occupied territories has to 'factor in' US anti-boycott laws, says Taoiseach
The Taoiseach has warned that introducing a ban on services from the occupied territories could negatively impact multinational companies operating in Ireland due to US anti-boycott laws.
Micheál Martin said the Government must 'factor in' laws passed in some US states that penalise companies who engage in boycotts, but it was open to including services in the laws if it is legally possible.
'That's an issue we have to factor in, because we don't want any companies or multinationals in Ireland inadvertently being caught up in this,' Mr Martin said.
'The objective is to create pressure on Israel to stop the war and in particular to adhere to international law and in terms of the ICJ (International Court of Justice) judgement.'
At present, the Government's legislation to ban trade with the occupied territories in the Palestinian West Bank only applies to goods, not services.
Asked if the Government was seeking to prioritise commercial interests over a moral argument, Mr Martin rejected the assertion.
'It's not commercial, like it's putting bread and butter on people's table,' Mr Martin said, citing the 'hundreds of thousands" of jobs from multinational companies in Ireland. 'The object of the exercise here is to put pressure on Israel, not to disadvantage Ireland unduly and that's a factor."
Mr Martin said people should be aware the legislation would be 'misinterpreted' within the United States.
He added there were other challenges with the legislation, including its potential impact, citing that only €690,000 worth of trade has been done with Israeli occupied territories over the last five years.
'There's no point in Ireland coming out the worse if it had no impact on Israel. That's the only point I'm making, we have to be clear-eyed in terms of the impact. People should know about the impact is what I'm saying,' Mr Martin said.
'We don't want to inadvertently catch companies and have them punished in the United States for something they're not aware of.'
The Taoiseach also questioned how it would be possible to prove if services were procured from the occupied territories.
'How do you actually detect, how do you punish the offence, the practicalities around all of that. Those are real and the bill is fundamentally symbolic, it's important.'
Mr Martin said there are still 'very narrow grounds' to implement the bill.
Anti-BDS legislation is in place across numerous US states, including California and Florida, which can levy sanctions against companies who participate in boycotts against Israel.
Gambling legislation
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach said he would favour a ban on free bets by gambling companies, adding it should take place if recently passed laws allow for it.
'We don't want young people being lulled into and induced by gambling at an early age, for example, through that mechanism because addiction, once it starts it's very difficult to shed an addiction. Gambling can have catastrophic consequences on families,' Mr Martin said.
His comments come after an ESRI report found that companies offering free bets led gamblers to spend more, lose more and push them into making bad decisions.
'Our findings imply that gambling offers aren't merely marketing tools, but pose a real risk of financial harm, particularly among vulnerable groups,' said Dr Diarmaid Ó Ceallaigh of the ESRI's Behavioural Research Unit.
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