Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 426: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when legislation will be introduced to control arms brokers. [15077/06]

Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Work on drafting the heads of the Export Control Bill has been completed within my Department and consultations with other Government Departments are under way. I expect this process to conclude within the next few weeks at which point I will bring it to Government for approval. Allowing for the formalities of drafting the legal texts, I hope to bring the new legislation before the Houses of the Oireachtas in the autumn.

The proposed legislation will update the existing Control of Exports Act, which dates from 1983, and will ensure that Ireland's export controls are in line with best international practice. In this regard, the new legislation will include, for the first time, provision for the regulation of arms brokering activities in Ireland and by Irish citizens abroad. This will enable Ireland to fulfil its obligation under the EU common position on arms brokering, which requires member states to take all the necessary measures to control brokering activities on their territory.