Taoiseach urges opposition not to 'play politics' with Occupied Territories Bill

Legislation to ban goods and services produced in illegal Israeli settlements likely to be delayed despite opposition parties' appeal for time to pass the bill

Conor O’Neill (Christian Aid), Karol Balfe (ActionAid Ireland), Senator Frances Black, who sponsored the Occupied Territories Bill, and Éamonn Meehan (Sadaka / Ireland Palestine Aliance) launching the campaign to legislate for the ban on imports from illegal Israeli settlements. Picture: Gareth Chaney

The Taoiseach has urged opposition parties to not “play politics” with the Occupied Territories Bill, as the legislation is set to be delayed until after the general election.

Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats want time to be set aside in next week’s Dáil schedule to pass the legislation — which would ban goods and services that are produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank — from being imported to Ireland.

Speaking to reporters in Portlaoise, Simon Harris said the Government was engaging in “good faith” with the bill’s sponsor, Senator Frances Black, but conceded that a general election would push the bill back.

“We’ve got to be honest, there’s going to be a general election within days,” Mr Harris said, but the bill itself will not go back to the starting point when the Dáil returns.

“Once the election takes place, the Dáil can resume legislation at the point that it was at.

“So I actually think the big piece of progress now is that we’re likely to go into a general election with a broad political consensus amongst the government and opposition on the importance of this legislation.” 

The legislation itself was first tabled in 2018 by Ms Black, targeting any goods and services produced in land occupied by Israel in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the Golan Heights, illegal under international law. 

The Government had previously set out that the legislation is inoperable under EU laws, but reversed this following an International Court of Justice ruling calling for trade with Israeli settlements to be ended.

Mr Harris said this ICJ ruling gave countries an “obligation” to do more, particularly around trade, but that many EU member states stand in opposition.

“We’ll continue to advocate and argue it, but there’s not yet a consensus,” Mr Harris said.

The push to get the Occupied Territories Bill through the Oireachtas comes just days before the Taoiseach is expected to seek the dissolution of the Dáil.

The key piece of legislation that must be passed before this takes place however, is the Finance Bill. This gives effect to measures within the budget, but is now due to pass through its remaining stages on Tuesday.