Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

On the question of exports, and without naming any companies, we know that arms exports from Germany to Israel have increased since last year from €30 million to over €300 million.

That is a tenfold increase in the number of arms being exported from Germany. I believe German companies are among those that will potentially benefit from the arms and ammunition schemes.

We do not have a guarantee. Clearly Germany does not feel the EU common position impedes it from exporting arms to Israel, even at a time provisional measures have been set by the International Court of Justice. There is no guarantee in terms of these weapons. That is building on what I will be asking the Commission about. Effectively we are supporting companies in the manufacture of ammunition because it is being framed as an industry support measure. It is not with regard to purchase but manufacture, which is almost worse in a sense because we are saying they can create them and sell them where they will. There is no limit on manufacture.

I will come back to the cluster munitions coalition treaty. It is something I feel very strongly about as I was lucky enough to be there when it was negotiated. AFrI is a member of the international Cluster Munition Coalition. The treaty was a large piece of work. It has been mentioned that the Irish law is of concern and I ask the witnesses to elaborate on this. As I understand it, the cluster munitions legislation is very clear that a country should not even support a factory where munitions are being produced. Explicitly we are supporting the companies and, thereby, the factories.

Sadly we also know that cluster munitions have been used on both sides. Russia has been known to use cluster munitions and the United States has provided Ukraine with cluster munitions. I acknowledge that when I raised this recently with the Minister for Foreign Affairs he said he has been very clear that the use of cluster munitions by any side in any conflict is something Ireland needs to condemn. We do not want to condemn it while, at the same time, we inadvertently contribute to factories where those weapons are manufactured. If there is more detail on where it fits with the Irish law it would be useful.