Bill will bring transparency to goods used ‘militarily’

THE distinction between military and civilian goods has been so blurred in recent years that anything can be used as an instrument for evil, a government minister said yesterday.

John McGuinness, junior minister at the Department of Enterprise, was debating new legislation that brings more transparency to the law relating to military and dual-use goods being exported from this country.

“The weapon that struck the Twin Towers was a civilian passenger jet,” he said.

“In the right hands a hurley or a cricket bat can be wielded with sublime grace while in the wrong hands, up a dark alley, either can become a lethal weapon.”

Mr McGuinness was opening the Dáil debate on the Control of Exports Bill yesterday afternoon, updating legislation from 1983.

He said this bill was the subject of substantial research undertaken by Forfás and that the Government had taken on board criticism that the present system lacked transparency in terms of giving detailed information on actual exports.

Referring to the Forfás report he said: “A key finding was that there was no ‘one size fits all’ solution for implementing export controls, rather it is vital to factor in unique national circumstances such as the legal systems and size and scope of the production activities affected when designing an effective system.”

Fine Gael’s enterprise spokesman Leo Varadkar welcomed the bill, saying that it was in Ireland’s interest to minimise the danger that military or dual-use goods produced in Ireland fell into the wrong hands. br>

Labour’s Michael D Higgins who has campaigned against the unscrupulous use of dual use and military goods exported from Ireland by undemocratic regimes also welcomed the bill, but stressed it was important to scrutinise ministerial orders.

“There are suggestions one must be satisfied with the judgment reached on the bona fides of an applicant for a licence, but I reject this.

“If one goes down that road one will find oneself unable to inspect planes at Shannon Airport because it would be deemed insulting to a friendly nation.”