Results 21-40 of 1,262 for speaker:Garret Ahearn
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: Compliance with international law, however, is subjective. We have heard the representatives from the Department saying the ruling can be seen differently. In my view, the interesting part of what you said was that the Bill would be transformed from being "little more than window dressing". What do you mean by window dressing?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: Yes, but you are saying the legislation there now is window dressing. That means the people who are forming the legislation. It would sound like a statement that would not come from a lawyer but one that would come from a Chamber in this building. It seems a political statement as opposed to a judgment from a legal perspective.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: That would mean an inadequate piece of legislation. The phrase "window dressing" comes across as a political statement.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: I will give you 20 seconds.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: Okay. I am conscious of time. Would Senator O'Reilly like to come in?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: We will start the second round of questions now. I call Senator Stephenson.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: We said 15 minutes or so. By the time we have done one round we will be there. I call Senator Higgins who has three minutes.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: We need to give the witnesses an opportunity to respond because there are only 40 seconds left.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: I thank Professor Koutrakos.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: We are over a minute past the time.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: Yes, Professor Koutrakos can respond in writing to the question.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: Unfortunately, there will not be time. I call Senator Fiona O'Loughlin.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: Who would the Senator like to answer the question?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: I thank Ms Ní Ghrálaigh very much. I call Senator Joe O'Reilly.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: I ask the Senator to conclude because he is over time. We have gone well beyond the time for the witnesses.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: Conclude, please, Senator. The time is up.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: If there is anything further he wishes to say, Professor Tridimas has ten seconds remaining.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: I thank Professor Tridimas very much. I have one question to conclude for Ms Ní Ghrálaigh. She said that if the Bill is enacted as it is now we will be open to legal action. Is every country, though, not open to legal action at the moment?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: Would we not be the country least open to action? I am not sure how to phrase it. Even though in Ms Ghrálaigh's view and in many people's view we would not be adhering to international law, every other EU country is not even close to adhering to international law, so I presume legal actions would be taken against those countries.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)
Garret Ahearn: Are countries open to legal challenge at the moment? Is there currently an opportunity to take legal action against any European country?