Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am just looking for a comparison. What is interesting is that Ireland led the way in banning imports from apartheid South Africa. That is why I believe Ireland should be leading the way now as well. Other European countries would come along with us and do that also. The European Community at the time also followed. At the moment, the EU has not followed suit, but we hope that is what would happen if this Bill were passed. While Ireland is today the only EU state actively considering the legislation, though we are not there yet, facilitating this has made it into the EU's options paper. That is progress of sorts but it is shameful it is so little. A lot of people are writing off the value of the so-called symbolic gestures. Does Mr. O'Brien regret his chief executive officer's intervention at that time, describing the ban on trade with the illegal settlements as worthless? Does he think it is worthless that we would be trying to push this legislation through?