Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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52. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the value of imports of all goods and services to Ireland from Israel in the past year; the value of all goods and services from illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory included in the above figure; the value of goods and services exported from Ireland to Israel in the same year; if the IDA employs, or has under contract, an agent in Israel to increase investment in Ireland by Israeli enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2025/23]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Central Statistics Office compiles statistical data on Goods Exports and Imports. According to the CSO, the value of goods imports from Israel in 2021 was €2,439 million. In the period January-November 2022 the value of goods imports from Israel was €4,622 million. The value of goods imports from Occupied Palestinian Territory in 2021 was €117,000. In the period January-November 2022 the value of goods imports from Occupied Palestinian Territory was €189,000.

The value of goods exports to Israel in 2021 was €821 million. In the period January-November 2022, the value of goods exports to Israel was €989 million. The value of goods exports to Occupied Palestinian Territory in 2021 was €1.53 million. In the period January-November 2022 the value of goods exports to Occupied Palestinian Territory was €2.3 million.

Services imports from Israel totalled €1,415 million in 2021 (the latest year for which this data is available) and 88% of these imports were Business services. Services exports to Israel totalled €4,352 million in 2021 and 95% of these were computer services. The CSO does not have data for services imports from and services exports to Occupied Palestinian Territory for 2021 or January to November 2022.

IDA Ireland issued a request for tender for a part-time Israel based Business Development Consultant in April 2021 and the appointment process was concluded in January 2022. This person represents IDA to support its efforts to win new investment. IDA Ireland regularly engages Pathfinders/Consultants globally and this is a model used across many geographies.The current consultant will finish the assignment at end January 2023 and a new tender process will commence in 2023. A Business Development Consultant identifies target companies with potential for investing in Ireland, engages with senior decision-makers in these companies and presents Ireland’s value proposition as an investment location.

I am advised that IDA Ireland will not target any Israeli company included on the database of enterprises involved in certain activities relating to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as published by the UN in February 2020.

Ireland’s position on the illegality of Israeli settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territory informs our engagement with the State of Israel across a range of bilateral issues, including trade, and will continue to do so.