Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I understand that. The Minister has taken the trouble to read the reports. I understand the difficulties. Suggestions have been made by the Department of Finance to establish our own database. What progress has been made on that?

Let me come back to the decision, which I welcome. Obviously, those concerned are operating in a policy vacuum. It has come from Dáil questions and pressure. I would have believed there would have been a proactive approach to taking the responsibility seriously. This happened previously with regard to Deputy Pringle's legislation, the Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill. The question of where our money is being divested is really serious. Regarding companies located in territories occupied by Israel, which is before the International Court of Justice for genocide, we must be seen to take action regarding where we invest public money, while acknowledging the independence of the NTMA and ISIF. What is the policy? Who is the fund reporting to? Who is monitoring what it is doing? Asking questions like this is part of it but there needs to be proactive monitoring to ensure we do not invest in companies that are part of a genocide or associated with the weapons that ensure that genocide.

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