Amnesty protests lack of transparency surrounding military exports

Amnesty International has claimed that Ireland is exporting up to €40m of military goods every year.

The organisation staged a demonstration in Dublin city centre today.

It wants the Government to sign up to the International Arms Trade Treaty and bring in new laws to control the export of goods and components.

Spokesperson Jim Loughran said that it was a mystery where these materials are going.

Mr Loughran said: “The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is supposed to publish all these details.”

“So, one of the key things that we are looking for is transparency, and accountability, and that the Government actually makes the information available so that we know what’s being exported from Ireland, where it’s going, and what the impact on human rights is.”