Latest news with #IsraeliSettlementsProhibitionofImportationofGoodsBill2025
Irish Examiner
25-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Tánaiste to add services from Israeli settlements in trade ban
The provision of services will be added to legislation banning imports from Israeli settlements if it stands up to legislative scrutiny, Simon Harris has said. The Tánaiste said he has zero policy difference with the Opposition in relation to the inclusion of services in the Israeli Settlements Prohibition of Importation of Goods Bill 2025. "But we do have a constitution. We are members of the European Union and I am not in the business of putting together legislation that would fall at the first legal hurdle," Mr Harris said. "I presume everybody here wants to pass a law that is impactful, a law that is in compliance with the laws of Ireland and that is what we are going to do." The legislation, approved by Cabinet on Tuesday, will now go before an Oireachtas committee for pre-legislative scrutiny. "If it is possible to do services and we will scrutinise this in pre-legislative scrutiny, we will add it in," Mr Harris said. The Fine Gael leader said all Government TDs will be expected to back the legislation as it is included in the programme for government and he called on those in Opposition not to engage in "lazy politicking". He said the people of Ireland are sick to the pit of their stomachs witnessing the genocide in Gaza and they want to see all politicians doing everything they can to make a difference. Mr Harris said he is absolutely open to including services and working constructively with the Opposition but said it is important to simultaneously keep the pressure on at a European level. The foreign affairs minister said he does not believe the EU has made itself compliant with the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, which clearly states that third countries must refrain from any trade or investment that helps sustain an illegal situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. He said he would hope that every Opposition leader would be reaching out to their EU counterparts and encouraging them to follow Ireland's lead in introducing domestic legislation. "Because, so far, it is pretty lonely out here. There is not one other country in Europe that has published any legislation to ban trade," Mr Harris said. "We are the first country in the European Union to say, yes trade is the European competency, and it would 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 are going to go ahead with our own domestic legislation." Read More Vat reductions for small businesses and changes to carer's allowance to form part of the budget
Irish Independent
24-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Frances Black rules herself out of presidential run
Ms Black, who first introduced the bill back in 2018, said while smaller opposition parties had spoken to her about the race to the Áras at the start of the year, she had not heard anything since. In recent week, the senator had said she was 98pc sure she would not run in the upcoming election. 'I'm ruling myself out of the presidency for sure,' Ms Black said. 'I had conversations with people at the beginning of the year, around this, around the smaller opposition parties, and I haven't heard anything since." The Independent senator said candidates need to be brave to decide to run, as the campaign can be 'a bloodbath'. 'I've said it before, you'd want to be a very brave person to go into the presidential election because it's a bloodbath. 'I have too much work to do, particularly on this bill, I think I'm a lot of work to do another even after this bill, I think there's more work to be done,' Ms Black said on the Last Word with Matt Cooper on Today Fm. On Tuesday, Tánaiste Simon Harris brought draft legislation of the Government's version of the Occupied Territories Bill, now called Israeli Settlements Prohibition of Importation of Goods Bill 2025. While the bill will see a ban on the importation of goods from the illegal occupied territories, the bill does not include services, which has been the subject of criticism from the Opposition. While Mr Harris has said he is not against the inclusion of services from a policy perspective, he has sought legal advice from the Attorney General. ADVERTISEMENT 'The Tánaiste has committed to me, both to me, and publicly that the Government is willing to include services in the final bill, if we can get the legal detail right,' Ms Black said. 'I am 100pc certain that we can, and I fully intend on holding him to that promise,' she added. Ms Black said the passing of this bill would be 'the first step to real consequences to what Israel is doing' in Gaza. 'My hope is that other countries will obviously follow suit. I think they're waiting,' Ms Black said. 'I was in Brussels a couple of weeks ago, talking to a fair few different countries, and they're all waiting and watching to see what Ireland is going to do with this bill. 'The world is watching us, and it's a very, very important piece of legislation,' she added.
Irish Daily Mirror
24-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
'Not an insignificant moment' as new Occupied Territories Bill goes to Cabinet
It is 'not an insignificant moment' that Ireland has become the 'first country in the European Union to publish legislation seeking to ban trade with the Occupied Palestinian territories', Tánaiste Simon Harris has said. Mr Harris, who is also the Foreign Affairs Minister, brought the Israeli Settlements Prohibition of Importation of Goods Bill 2025 to Cabinet on Tuesday. However, unlike Senator Frances Black's original Occupied Territories Bill, it does not outlaw services. Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed that the Attorney General has been asked to bring forward further legal advice on services. He admitted that it is 'genuinely more complex than goods transferring, but we will get further legal advice on that'. Minister Harris, meanwhile, said it would be 'disingenuous' for people to say that the Government does not want to include a ban on services in the legislation, arguing that the 'Government wants to get this right'. He said: 'This is not an insignificant moment. We are becoming the first country in the European Union to publish legislation seeking to ban trade with the Occupied Palestinian territories. We shouldn't just jump over that fact. 'People across the country, regardless of political persuasion, are sick to the pit of their stomach at the genocide that is taking place in Gaza. 'It is not as if we do a huge amount of trade of goods with the Occupied Territories, but it is the right thing to do. 'It is the right thing to do because we hope in doing it that it might encourage Europe to continue to move forward together on this. 'While our domestic legislation today is important, it's what the people of this country want, it's what we committed to do, actually, what is more important is having impact. 'If this is about having an impact and getting genocide to stop, it has to be about building coalition at a European level to maximise the leverage and pressure on Israel.' The inclusion of services will be further debated when the Bill goes to the Foreign Affairs Committee as early as next week. It is understood that Mr Harris and Senator Black could be the first witnesses at the committee if they are available. On X, Senator Black stated that she will still seek for services to be included in the Bill when pre-legislative scrutiny is done. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
The Journal
24-06-2025
- Business
- The Journal
Ban on Irish imports from Israeli settlements in Palestine to go for Cabinet approval
LEGISLATION TO BAN imports from Israeli settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territory is due to come before Cabinet this morning to be approved by Government ministers. Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris will present the proposed legislation, known officially as the Israeli Settlements Prohibition of Importation of Goods Bill 2025. It comes years after similar proposed legislation – the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill – was introduced in 2018 but never enacted. The proposed legislation would ban trade of goods with the Occupied Palestinian Territory by making any import from the OPT an offence under the Customs Act 2015. It will mean that customs officers' powers of entry, inspection, search, arrest, seizure, and forfeiture of goods that exist under the Customs Act will apply to the import of goods from Israeli settlements in the OPT. Advertisement Harris has said that he is open to the bill including the provision of services as well as goods and that he has asked the Attorney General to advise on whether this is legally possible. Pro-Palestine activists have campaigned for years for the government to enact legislation banning trade with Israeli settlements – calls that have heightened in the last two years while Israel has relentlessly bombarded Gaza. Senator Frances Black, who tabled the Occupied Territories Bill in 2018, said last month that the government's decision to enact a ban on illegal Israeli settlements was 'a really important and welcome step, but our work is not done yet'. 'The onus is now on Government to act with the urgency this moment demands – to stand firmly against the horrific war crimes being committed both in Gaza and the West Bank,' Black said. 'We need to see a full ban on all trade with the illegal Israeli settlements, which includes both physical goods like fruit and veg, but also intangible services like tech and IT. 'That is the standard set in the original Occupied Territories Bill which I tabled, and it's what the International Court of Justice has said is required. The Tánaiste has committed to working on this when the Bill goes into the Dáil Foreign Affairs Committee in June, and I am certain that we can get the legal detail right if the political will is there.' 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
RTÉ News
24-06-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Tánaiste to raise Occupied Territories Bill in Cabinet
Tánaiste Simon Harris will bring the outline of the Occupied Territories Bill to Cabinet this morning. The legislation will be known as the Israeli Settlements Prohibition of Importation of Goods Bill 2025. This Bill will ban trade with the Occupied Palestinian Territory by making any import from there an offence under the Customs Act. This will mean that the Bill will be enforced by customs officers. They will have the power to inspect, search and arrest anyone seeking to import goods from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. While trade is banned, the legislation going to Government does not cover services. Although the Tánaiste insists he is willing to consider its inclusion of services in the Bill and has sought the Attorney General's advice on this matter. Once the Bill has been approved by the Cabinet, it will be sent to the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for pre-legislative scrutiny. But there is no indication right now that the legislation will be enacted before the summer recess on 17 July. US student visa applications clarity Separately, Mr Harris has asked officials to engage directly with the US embassy in Dublin and with the US administration more widely in a bid to provide clarity about the increased vetting of social media accounts of student visa applicants. He also asked officials to speak to third-level institutions and organisations that provide services for students who wish to travel with the United States. This will be with the clear aim of providing guidance and examining possible supports for young people who wish to travel to the United States in the coming months. Mr Harris also intends to raise this matter with the new US ambassador when he takes up his role next month. Dublin city centre revitalisation works Taoiseach Micheál Martin will today seek approval for a plan to revitalise Dublin City Centre. The GPO be revamped under the plan which stems from the Dublin City Taskforce's recommendations. There will be a commitment to transform O'Connell Street and its surroundings along with the regeneration of social housing complexes in the city centre. Derelict sites will be converted into high-density residential areas where homes for essential workers will be a priority. The regeneration work will be overseen by a stand-alone entity working under Dublin City Council, and it will be financed by both public and private investment. There is a pledge too that policing will be more visible, and there will be "better located services" for vulnerable people. Student Accommodation Minister for Higher Education James Lawless will bring a memo to Cabinet to put in place a design guide for new State-supported student accommodation It is seeking to deliver more beds quicker by building twin rooms, communal kitchens, and shared bathrooms. This will replace the current individual ensuite rooms, and the minister is expected to tell Government that it will encourage a more sociable, integrated student experience. Public spending across Government The Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers will remind Cabinet ministers today of their responsibility to ensure value for money is central to how they spend public funds. He will bring a memo to Government setting out the responsibilities of individual ministers to ensure value for money, as well as the legislation that underpins decision making. Minister Chambers will remind ministers that value for money is about securing efficiency in the use of public resources to deliver enhanced public services, living standards and infrastructure for the country. While the Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill will bring the Patient Safety (Licencing) Bill 2025 to Cabinet. The Bill will give HIQA the power to sanction hospitals if safety standards are not met.
