Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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6. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in view of the fact that the Horizon 2020 Agreement, which in principle includes the new EU guidelines that prevent any EU funding going to companies based in illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, and in view of the fact that it contains an appendix stating Israel does not recognise the new guidelines, if the Irish Government intends to oppose any such funding going to companies based in illegal Israeli settlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28267/14]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The tragic killing of three Israeli teenagers in the settlement areas on the West Bank and the subsequent brutal response of the Israeli state and the killing of six Palestinians since the abduction has brought into sharp focus the issue of Israel's illegal settlements. Why are we allowing Israel to draw on the Horizon 2020 €70 billion research and innovation fund when it has stated that it does not accept the guidelines in that agreement that no business should be done with illegal Israeli settlements?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Horizon 2020 Agreement, which was formally signed by the European Commission and by Israel last month, states clearly in article 6, paragraph one that the agreement does not apply to the territory occupied by Israel in 1967. The paragraph then goes on to state that this agreed provision is without prejudice to the position in principle of the two sides.

Essentially, the same points are made in the appendices to the agreement. The European Commission states it may continue to implement its existing guidelines on funding eligibility and Israel asserts its position of opposition to these guidelines. This is normal diplomatic language allowing one party or other to affirm a national position while in practice accepting an agreement which falls some way short of that position. In this case, the operative element is that both sides have agreed as in Article 6 that "this agreement shall not apply to the geographic areas that came under the administration of the State of Israel after 5 June 1967."

The position is thus quite clear that EU research grants may not be applied in the occupied territories. There are mechanisms provided, as is usual in such schemes, for reclaiming of funding improperly applied. Ireland fully supports this position. Ongoing implementation and oversight of the Horizon 2020 agreement with Israel is a matter principally for the Commission and the European Parliament. I have every confidence that the Commission will ensure that the agreement is properly applied.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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This really gets to the heart of the double standards that occur. Russia is accused by Europe of unacceptable behaviour and incursions into Crimea in Ukraine. Immediately, sanctions are put in place and action is taken because Europe maintains that Russia's behaviour is unacceptable. Israel does it on an ongoing basis and is engaged in what everybody acknowledges is an illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and yet we involve it in an enormous innovation fund and will give its companies money. Even though we stipulate that this money cannot be used in the West Bank, Israel brazenly states that it does not accept these guidelines. Yet we still involve it in the agreement. That is extraordinary. Why is Israel treated differently even though it is involved in a routine, ongoing and brutal illegal occupation of Palestinian territory which week after week and day after day results in the most awful tragedies, the most recent of which we have just seen? We treat it with kid gloves.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Let us be absolutely clear about this. The European research funding under Horizon 2020 does not and will not apply in the occupied territories. That has been made very clear in the agreement and that is what is happening. In addition, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton has been working for some time now on the development of guidelines on the labelling of products from the occupied territories. The Government has been working on guidelines in respect of businesses and the occupied territories. I expect that we will publish those guidelines very shortly. We will do that in conjunction with a number of other member states. The position in respect of the occupied territories is absolutely clear.

I have issued a statement condemning the kidnapping and killing of the three Israeli teenagers. I also condemn the killing of Palestinian young people and the kidnapping earlier today of a Palestinian teenager. I am very concerned about the turn of events and believe there should be a pulling back from all violent activity in the Middle East and that efforts to get a lasting settlement be renewed and concentrated on.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Israel cannot be believed. That is the point. I do not understand how the Minister believes Israel when it states that it disregards the guidelines in the agreement. In the Dáil the other day, we listened to an Israeli soldier who is a member of Breaking the Silence. This is a large organisation of Israeli soldiers that has produced a book entitled Our Harsh Logic. The Tánaiste should read it. The soldier described how at the most senior military and political level on an ongoing basis, Israeli soldiers are told to go in and kill, harass, abuse and terrorise the Palestinian population on an arbitrary and random basis every day. That is what they are told to do. An Israeli soldier and an organisation of Israeli soldiers are saying this. Israel does not give a damn about our rules. We have signed an agreement and allowed Israel into an EU fund when it has said up-front that it does not accept the agreement's guidelines. I do not understand why the EU would accept that. A connection is often made between the US and Israel but the soldier from Breaking the Silence said that the EU is the largest supporter, sponsor and legitimiser of Israel.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Israel is free to state its position in respect of the guidelines for the funding of research. It can state its position as often, as loudly and in as large a print as it likes but it does not change the fact that EU money will not be spent on research in the occupied territories. That is the position agreed by the EU and that is what it is implementing. Regardless of whether Israel likes it or not, that is the EU position.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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How will we police it?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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It is very simple. One does not pay Israel. It is EU money. This is not complicated. The EU will not pay its taxpayers' money for research in the occupied territories. No matter what is stated in the agreements, what codicils are entered into or what statement of national positions exists, that is the control of it. We do not pay it. It is simple. The position we are working on in respect of products from settlement territories is in the same vein. The work we are doing in respect of the guidelines that will be issued to Irish businesses in line with what I believe will be done in quite a number of other EU member states will be the same. We act and if somebody does not like it, that is fine but we act because we do not believe that Israel should be occupying the occupied territories and we do not and will not support the type of actions that are being undertaken in the occupied territories.