Mr. Declan Smyth:

Perhaps I can answer that question. The framing of this Bill has been challenging because it requires the interruption of the trade, to a certain extent, of goods that may be in free circulation within the internal market of the European Union. There are two ways in which goods from the settlements might arrive in Ireland. One is goods coming directly from the settlements via a third country, presumably Israel, into Dublin Port. Those goods would then be imported and would be required to file an import declaration, which would have to indicate the origin of the goods. They would, therefore, come to the immediate attention of the customs authorities and can be dealt with in that way.

Alternatively, goods may arrive into another port in the European Union and be distributed. Once they clear customs there, they are then in free circulation within the European Union and it may be more difficult to detect their arrival in Ireland. In any event, once goods clear customs and if and when they go on sale, there are other means of detecting. Obviously, there will be private individuals who may very well report their appearance in supermarkets, for example. There is also, though, market surveillance, in which relevant agencies conduct checks in retail units of what is up for sale to detect customs infringements. We are in discussion with our colleagues in the Customs and Revenue Service as to how the Bill would operate if enacted. It is confident it can be implemented in the form in which it has been drafted.