Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 1 July 2025

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade

General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025

2:00 am

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Do we know the value of services that would be envisaged by this Bill, were they to be included? Reference was made to the opinion of the Attorney General. We have a very eminent Attorney General, and we have had many very eminent Attorneys General over the years. I am not looking in any particular direction. It is very frustrating, given the length of time this Bill has been in the offing, that we are here today discussing the Bill and we are still without the definitive opinion of the Attorney General. The witnesses are not in a position to give that to us, but it would be no harm if the Attorney General was aware of our frustration at the fact that we have not got that essential bit of information. From everything that has been said, it seems that the Attorney General and the powers that be feel that it is safe to proceed with the goods but it is less safe to proceed with services, because if we proceed with services there is the risk of an infringement appeal. Who would take an infringement appeal against us and what form would it be likely to take?

My two questions are what is the value of services that are not included, but might be, and how would the infringement process work.