Opposition parties offer up Dáil time to pass Occupied Territories Bill
Senator Frances Black, Conor O’Neill, Christian Aid Ireland's head of policy and advocacy; and Éamonn Meehan, chair of Sadaka, the Ireland Palestine Aliance, launching a campaign to pass the Occupied Territories Bill. File picture: Gareth Chaney
Opposition parties have offered up Dáil speaking time in order to pass a bill that would ban goods and services produced in illegal Israeli settlements.
The Government has agreed to bring the bill forward as far as possible in the short time remaining before a general election, but has indicated that it will not be passed before the Dáil is dissolved.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin has cited considerable amendments that are required to ensure the Occupied Territories Bill would not be legally contested once passed.
Both Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats have now offered up time slots in the Dáil next week to progress the bill, stating that there can be “no more excuses”.
Independent Senator Frances Black tabled the draft legislation in 2018 to ban the import into Ireland of goods and services originating in illegal settlements in lands deemed as occupied under international law.
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The Government had previously contended that the bill would breach EU law, but is now working to alter and progress the original bill after receiving updated legal advice and has now removed a technical obstacle known as a ‘money message’.
However, Sinn Féin chief whip Pádraig MacLochlainn accused the Government of not being serious in relation to the legislation, adding that his party had written to the Taoiseach last week proposing a Dáil recall this week, but “he didn’t take this opportunity”.
“The Government has said that there are no impediments for this bill to be passed,” he said.
“However, they refused to recall the Dáil this week to progress this vital legislation. The Government has now presented a draft schedule for the Dáil next week and the Occupied Territories Bill is not slated to be progressed.”
He added that Sinn Féin had offered to give up our two hours of private members time next week to facilitate this bill going through all stages and to be passed into legislation.
“We will do whatever we can to make this happen.”
Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns also said that her party would be willing to give up its Dáil time to allow for a debate on the bill.
“Given that this legislation enjoys cross-party support, it would provide a fitting end to this Dáil term and send a powerful message of solidarity to the Palestinian people,” she said in urging the Government to “seize this valuable opportunity” to pass the legislation.
Speaking in Athlone, Mr Martin said he hopes the bill would get a hearing at committee stage next week, meaning it could be reintroduced at the same stage in the next Dáil.
However, he added: “There are about 12 areas that require amendment, and maybe more to the existing bill. We had two options, whether to create a new bill or just develop new legislation, but we decided to actually amend the existing bill to be fair to the author of the bill. And that’s that’s the decision we have taken.
“The International Court of Justice advisory opinion has been the key factor in enabling us to progress now legislation to ban the import of goods from the occupied territories, because that opinion in July... published, has said unequivocally that the occupation is illegal and member states have an obligation to do nothing that would aid and abet the occupation.
“The bill as written needs significant amendment, I think it’s fair to say, that’s been acknowledged by the authors of the bill.”
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