Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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25. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the consideration he has given to the impact on neutrality of the almost 800 licenses granted to exporters producing components for military goods in 2014; if his Department has discussed this matter with the Department of Foreign Affairs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37153/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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793 export licences were issued by my Department for the export of dual-use and military items during 2014.

95 of these were issued for the export of military items. My Department is responsible for controls on the export of these military items from Ireland. Under Irish law, military export licences must be sought in respect of the goods and technology, and any components thereof, listed in the Annex to the Control of Exports (Goods and Technology) Order, SI.216 of 2012 which reflects the EU Common Military List.

The EU Common Military List includes military goods and technology, and components for such items that should be licenced for export. Items which are classified as “military goods” from an export control perspective and which are exported from Ireland involve components rather than finished military equipment. A significant number of the 95 military licences issued during 2014 were issued to individuals holding sports firearms and to companies engaged in mining activity.

My Department issued 680 Individual Dual-Use licences during 2014, with 18 Global Dual-Use licences in use by exporters during that period. While the term “dual-use” refers to those items that are normally used for civilian or commercial purposes but may also have a military application, the vast majority of dual-use licences issued by my Department are for commercial purposes. Dual-use items are controlled pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No. 428/2009 setting up a Community regime for the control of exports, transfer, brokering and transit of dual-use items.

My officials are in daily contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on export control and export licensing issues. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is consulted on all military licence applications and the vast majority of dual-use licence applications.

In addition to the day-to-day contacts necessitated by consultation with the Disarmament and Non- Proliferation Section of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in relation to individual export licence applications, more formal liaison meetings take place on a regular basis to share information and to review strategic issues affecting export control.

Ireland is a member of several bodies which work to ensure the non-proliferation of goods and technologies which could contribute to the development of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. These non-proliferation groups include the Wassenaar Arrangement, the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Missile Technology Control Group.