Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am replying to this matter on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs who is unavoidably absent.

The Government's position on Israeli settlements has been clearly articulated on many occasions. Such settlements are illegal and, as the Senator outlined, in many cases they involve the seizure of Palestinian land and resources. They are the cause of the great majority of movement and other restrictions which infringe on the lives and freedoms of Palestinians. Settlements are seriously undermining - as is the intention - the possibility of achieving a peace agreement. Ireland has, therefore, consistently argued for a stronger international approach to the issues surrounding settlements.

The business-related aspects of settlements have also been discussed on many occasions in the Oireachtas in recent years. Settlement products are an important issue but they are a small aspect of the overall problem and not central to the viability or progress of the project as a whole. Most settlements are dormitory communities for people who work in Israel and do not produce anything. Most settlement produce consists of fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs, is largely consumed in Israel and could be entirely absorbed by the Israeli market, if necessary. Similarly, the amount of settlement produce entering the EU market is very small and this bears on the degree of regulation warranted to control it. The UN's guiding principles on business and human rights, adopted by the Human Rights Council in 2011, constitute the key international standard in this area. The Government encourages all Irish businesses to be familiar with and apply these principles in their international activities. This week the Government has decided to prepare a national plan on the implementation of the guiding principles. The plan will be co-ordinated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

In the specific case of the occupied Palestinian territory, the EU has taken a number of actions in relation to settlements, strongly supported by Ireland and Irish Governments past and present. First, and most importantly, the EU has excluded goods produced in settlements from the lower tariffs which applies to Israeli goods. Work continues on an ongoing basis to make this distinction more effective and, as with any such tariff, to close any loopholes found. Second, the EU has issued rules to ensure that no EU research grants to Israeli entities are spent in the settlements. Third, the EU recently ruled that it does not recognise the competence of Israeli authorities to issue health certificates for chickens produced in the occupied territory and thus that these may not be imported into the EU.

The EU has been working on two further measures, namely, guidelines on the labelling of settlement goods and advice to business and individuals on investment in settlements. These measures were not progressed further during the past year while direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations were in progress because it was felt they might not help the political context of the talks. Ireland has consistently supported both of these measures and since the suspension of the negotiations in May we have actively raised at EU level the need to resume progress on them. There is now general agreement among member states to issue guidance on investments. This will be along lines agreed at EU level but will appear as national advice of the member states.

A number of partners have already issued this advice, and Ireland will do so very shortly.

The guidelines on labelling may take a little longer to agree, as this involves many more departments in both member states and the European Commission. However, in any case the essential point, that produce from settlements should not be labelled as coming from Israel, is already provided for in EU consumer law. The Tánaiste has stated that if the labelling guidelines are unduly delayed at EU level, Ireland will move ahead with national guidelines.

There is therefore a considerable overlap between what the Government has been doing and the actions recommended in the Trócaire report mentioned by the Senator. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is in regular contact with Trócaire and other interested parties on this broad range of issues. However, the report also blurs important distinctions, for instance, by treating as equivalent an investment specifically in a settlement enterprise, and commercial links with other companies which themselves may have commercial links with settlements. This is not helpful, and it would seriously undermine our own influence on the issue if we were to follow this logic in discussions at EU level. This point has been made to Trócaire.

Ireland has strongly supported a range of actions at EU level to make effective our opposition to illegal settlements and we will continue to do so.