Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)

First, the Government's position and, indeed, that of the European Union is clear. Settlements are illegal under international law and undermine the realisation of the two-state solution. This is the long-standing position of Ireland, the European Union and many other international partners.

In June 2025, the Government approved the general scheme of the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory (prohibition of importation of goods) Bill. The main purpose of the Bill, as set out in the general scheme, is to prohibit the importation of goods into the State from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. This is in line with the programme for Government which commits to prohibiting the importation of such goods. It is also priority legislation for this term, published by the Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

On the specific issue of services, the Tánaiste has said that he has no policy issue in relation to the inclusion of services. Trade in services is considerably more complex, which I think the Senator will appreciate, than is the case with goods, and there remains considerable legal uncertainty as to whether their inclusion is permissible under EU law. Legal clarity is needed on whether it is possible to include services, and the Tánaiste has asked the Attorney General to advise on this, as the Senator will be aware. We also have to take account of practical issues with regard to implementation should services be included in the scope of the Bill.

On the timeline, over the summer the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, to which the Senator referred, held a number of hearings on the general scheme, and received submissions representing a range of views and perspectives. The joint committee then published its report on the Bill. Work to analyse the report and its recommendations is well under way. A regulatory impact assessment is also currently being finalised by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and will be available on the Department’s website quite shortly when completed.

The next steps in the process, including the timeline for the progress of the Bill, will be considered by Government shortly. The Tánaiste expects to engage further with Government colleagues and the Attorney General on these issues in the coming weeks. In addition, we continue to engage at European Union and international levels with like-minded partners on this issue. In the absence of action at the EU level, Ireland has welcomed the announcements by the Dutch, Spanish, Slovenian and Belgian Governments regarding their own intention to ban the importation of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements. It remains the Government’s preference that collective action would be taken at EU level and Ireland continues to pursue this. In light of recent developments, the EU’s immediate focus is on ensuring the success of the ceasefire and peace deal. It is essential that peace is given a chance to succeed.

At the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Monday, the Tánaiste met his EU counterparts and welcomed the ceasefire and release of hostages as well as calling for the EU to support efforts to flood Gaza with urgently needed humanitarian aid. Preserving the very fragile ceasefire and ensuring humanitarian access at scale is a priority. The Tánaiste also recalled the unacceptable nature of what has been happening in the West Bank and stressed the importance of ensuring that the concept of a two-state solution resulting in a viable, contiguous Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem remains front and centre in the EU's approach and that all future phases of the current agreement are conducive to its implementation.