Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the EU has adopted a series of sanctions against Russian and Belarusian individuals and companies. The implementation of restrictive EU measures has shown the complexity of identifying assets owned by those subject to sanctions who hide their assets across different jurisdictions through complex legal and financial structures. Those who wish to conceal their assets are helped by existing legal loopholes as the criminal law provisions on breaches of EU sanctions vary across member states.

The inconsistent enforcement of restrictive measures undermines the EU's ability to speak with one voice according to the European Commission. People who enter this country should have some type of documentation that identifies who they are. We are strict with our own laws when it comes to people who have resided here for years, yet we let every person who is running from war and, in some cases, from where there is no war, into Ireland without any identification.

An athlete representing Ireland wants to compete in the European games but cannot get his foreign birth registration expedited in order to represent Ireland. He has been living and working in Ireland for years. Another person who is also supposed to be representing Ireland cannot get a foreign birth registration expedited in order to represent this country, yet we have no problem handing out identification documents and welfare to people who have nothing to do with Ireland and, in some cases, could cause a serious danger to us. One of the biggest hitmen in the world resided in Ireland, something we did not realise until he was extradited recently, and correctly so. I understand most people coming into the country are genuine, but surely when our own people who have been working here for years cannot get passports it is a strange and frustrating situation.

With regard to penalties for legal persons, the proposed directive requires member states to provide for criminal or non-criminal administrative fines, exclusion from entitlement to public benefits or aid, exclusion from access to public funding, including tender procedures, grants and concessions, and may include other penalties.

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