Mr. Bertie Ó hAinmhire:

I wonder could I make a quick point with regard to Deputy O'Reilly's question. The Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018, if it was enacted, could result in a complete ban on imports of goods and services produced in illegal settlements, as the Deputy said. It was passed by the Oireachtas, but blocked by the Government with a money message. However, there are a number of independent experts, including the late Professor James Crawford, a professor of international law, who argued that it is lawful for individual member states to ban trade with settlements. While it is accepted that the EU trade rules are generally uniform across member states, exceptions are granted on grounds of public morality, public policy, public security, the protection of health, etc. There is a suggestion why not enact the legislation as per the will of the people and the will of the Oireachtas and, if necessary, let the courts decide afterwards if this is legitimate or not.