Israeli settlements import ban may expand to services pending legal review, Harris confirms

Tánaiste says Ireland will expand its Israeli settlements trade ban to include services if legally possible after review

Tánaiste Simon 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. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins Photos

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."