Dáil debates

Thursday, 8 December 2016

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions

Military Exports

4:00 pm

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

11. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her views on the fact that no preliminary figures on the export of dual use and military items are yet available for 2016 in view of the fact that six monthly reports on such exports were published at the end of June in each of the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 and in May 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38950/16]

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

13. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her views on the fact that the report on the export of military and dual use items from Ireland under the Control of Exports Act 2008 covering the period 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2015 has not yet been published and preliminary figures are the only figures available for this period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38949/16]

Photo of Mick WallaceMick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

For many years, Ireland has had a poor record on publishing data on its military and dual use exports. It was safer for Governments to pretend that we were not an exporter of arms to maintain our thin facade of neutrality. However, perhaps provoked by the Mark Thomas documentary, we got the Control of Exports Act 2008. In 2011 we got the first report on exports of arms and dual-use items. As we approach the end of 2016, we do not have preliminary figures for this year or detailed figures for 2015. What is the explanation?

4:10 pm

Photo of Mary Mitchell O'ConnorMary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

4 o’clock

I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 13 together.

My Department is responsible for controls on the export of military items from Ireland. Under Irish law, military export licences must be sought for the export from Ireland of military goods and technology and any component thereof listed on the EU common military list. Items which are classified as "military goods" from an export control perspective and exported from Ireland involve components rather than finished military equipment. Military licences issued by my Department include licences issued to individuals holding sports firearms and companies engaged in mining activity.

My Department is also responsible for licensing the export of dual-use items outside the European Union. It performs this function pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No. 428/2009 setting up a Community regime for the control of exports and the transfer, brokering and transit of dual-use items. The term "dual-use" refers to items that are normally used for civilian or commercial purposes but which may also have a military application. The vast majority of dual-use licences issued by my Department are for commercial purposes.

Export licence statistics for both military and dual-use goods for the period 1 January to 30 June 2016 will be published before the end of the month. My Department also publishes more comprehensive annual reports on its export licensing activity undertaken under the Control of Exports Act 2008. It is my intention to publish the report for the period 1 January to 31 December 2015 later this month. As the Deputy will be aware, the previous report for the period 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2014 was published by my Department in December 2015.

Photo of Mick WallaceMick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In 2014 Ireland issued 50 licences for exports of dual-use items to Saudi Arabia. In the same year €2.3 million worth of straight-up weapons were exported to the same place. Saudi Arabia started to bombard Yemen in 2015 and has been accused by the United Nations of committing war crimes there. How many weapons and weapon components were send from Ireland to Saudi Arabia that were used against Yemeni civilians? This is of importance to the people of Ireland, given what is happening in Yemen today. It is reckoned that about 20 million people have either been displaced or are at risk of poverty in Yemen. It is a total humanitarian disaster and Saudi Arabia is engaging in genocide. Is the Minister comfortable with the fact that Ireland is still prepared to send to Saudi Arabia components of weapons which can be put together with other weapon parts to kill people?

Photo of Mary Mitchell O'ConnorMary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As I said, there is legislation in place. Council Regulation (EC) No. 428/2009 establishes a licensing regime for the export of dual-use products from the European Union. The regulation applies directly to Ireland and Irish exporters. It includes an extensive and detailed list of dual-use items for which a licence is required to export from the European Union. The list is updated regularly, most recently in November.

The Control of Exports Act 2008 requires the Minister to prepare and lay before each House of the Oireachtas a report on operations in the preceding year. The reports provide statistics for licensing activity in the export of military and dual-use goods and also describe developments in Ireland's export control regime. They include a ministerial foreword. It is currently being drafted. The reports are available on the Department's website. I take my role in this area very seriously.

Photo of Mick WallaceMick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Items are included in the EU military exports and dual-use items lists because they are dangerous objects which can be put to deadly use. It has often been argued that some of them are innocuous, but if that was the case, the Minister should be lobbying the European Union to take them off the lists. While she might claim that the European Union is happy for us to export dual-use items, given that at least we pretend to be neutral, how, in God's name, can we export to Saudi Arabia anything that could be used against the people of Yemen? I do not understand the logic. We seem to tolerate just about anything Saudi Arabia does. It would not even allow speaking time following the death of Fidel Castro. While there are questions about his human rights' record, he never got up to half the mischief Saudi Arabia has got up to. As the Minister of State sitting beside the Minister will vouch, there is no way Ireland should have anything to do with what is happening as part of Saudi Arabia's military policy.

Photo of Mary Mitchell O'ConnorMary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department takes this issue very seriously. The export licensing regime ensures as far as possible that exported items will be used by the stated end-user for the end-uses stated. It seeks to prevent exported items from being used for illicit purposes. Safeguards are built into the licensing system to facilitate robust checks and cross-checking in this regard. The licensing unit of my Department is responsible for the analysis and processing of applications for export licences. All applications are subject to rigorous scrutiny on a case by case basis. The licensing unit ensures companies based in Ireland comply with national and EU legislation governing the export of dual-use items and military goods. The linkage between export controls and international disarmament, human rights and security concerns requires ongoing contact which happens, both formally and informally, with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Photo of Mick WallaceMick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

While I do not know what the appropriate forum is, if there is a link between countries to which we are prepared to export and human rights concerns, will the Minister, please, ask the Cabinet whether it is right for Ireland to continue to export dual-use items to Saudi Arabia? If, as the Minister said, there is a link with human rights concerns, we cannot possibly export such items to Saudi Arabia. I plead with her to raise the really serious issue with the Cabinet While things are bad in Syria, they are getting even worse in Yemen and Saudi Arabia is responsible thanks to the backing of the US military. We are staying silent and still prepared to export dual-use items to Saudi Arabia.

Photo of Mary Mitchell O'ConnorMary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My officials are in regular contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on export licensing issues. They consult it on all military exports licence applications and the majority of dual-use items export licence applications. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provides valuable advice for my Department. Its observations are considered fully in the assessment of licence applications. In addition to these day-to-day contacts with the disarmament and non-proliferation section of that Department, more formal liaison meetings take place on a regular basis to share information and review strategic issues which affect export controls.