Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

For a bizarre reason we have never fully got to the bottom of, IDA Ireland engaged in a tender process for an Israel-based business development consultant as recently as last October. That process was finally abandoned. To allay concerns that were legitimately raised about that process, we received an assurance in the Dáil that the IDA would not target any Israeli company included in the published UN database of enterprises involved in certain activities relating to settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. If that was the sole criterion to be used in the case of the prospective employment of a business development consultant, it appears bizarre that the database is just a bit player in the information provided as regards ongoing trade relationships. With due respect, has Mr. Hughes been asked to downplay the importance of the UN database today?