Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Government's position, based on the advice of the Attorney General, is that legislation of that nature is not permitted because trade is an EU competence. I know there are alternative views but it is certainly the view of the Government's legal adviser - it was also the view of his predecessor - that legislation of that nature would not stand because trade is an EU competence, not a domestic competence. We also need to bear in mind that there are other occupied territories throughout the world in addition to those to which Deputy Gannon referred.

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