Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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152. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Europe’s five largest pension funds (details supplied) have €7.5 billion invested in companies with business activities in and around illegal settlements in the Palestinian territories; and his views on whether all pension funds should disinvest from companies with business activities in and around illegal Israeli settlements. [6527/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The Government has no responsibility for the activities of the pension funds referred to by the Deputy.

I would expect that all Irish companies would operate in accordance with international law, wherever they operate, including in the case of Israeli settlements. My Department has provided long-standing advice to Irish business on the issues associated with involvement with the settlements.

More broadly, Ireland continues to engage in EU and UN discussions aimed at promoting the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Most recently, Ireland, together with other EU Member States, reiterated our collective commitment to the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles at the fifth UN Annual Forum on Business and Human rights in Geneva in November 2016.

My Department’s work on the National Plan on Business and Human Rights is nearing conclusion and I expect that it will be published within the next three months.