Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)

I thank the Minister for his reply. The first report indicated that Ireland had authorised €90 million of equipment for ammunition and arms use, including gun and weapon sensors, between 2008 and 2010, and that €10.6 billion of dual use product licences were also authorised. In that period we gave licences for sales to countries including Libya, Iraq, Egypt, Algeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Lebanon. Most of the contracts involved Britain, the US, Germany and China.

The Minister indicated that reports would be published every six months and from speaking with representatives of Amnesty International, it seems that group is pretty keen for more information to come available in future, and that there would be a greater effort towards achieving transparency. When will the annual report for 2011 due under the Control of Exports Act 2008 be published and will it contain detail not included in the annual report documentation covering 2008 to 2010? Will it contain information on values of actual rather than licensed exports and on end use? We are trying to get on the UN human rights committee, which is important, and it would be good for us to show more transparency.

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