Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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103. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade with regard to the UN database of companies operating in Israel’s illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, if he is of the opinion that the database is at present achieving the objectives outlined in the Resolution adopted by the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2016; the initiatives that the Government has taken since 2020 to assist the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in making sure that the database has been regularly updated and is fit for purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25450/23]

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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105. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is satisfied that Ireland played its part in ensuring that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has fully complied with the UN Human Rights Council mandate to compile, publish and regularly update a database of all businesses operating in illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory; if he fears that extensive political pressure may have been brought to bear on the High Commissioner to disregard this mandate, to interpret it in a particular way or to hamper progress; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25452/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 105 together.

The Human Rights Council adopted Resolution 31/36 in March 2016, calling upon the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to produce a database of all business enterprises involved in activities relating to Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. The Human Rights Council did not specify implications for entities listed in the database or put forward recommendations on how the database be used.

The terms of the Resolution were very broad, with the associated risk that this could potentially lead to unfair and counter-productive outcomes. The EU Members of the HRC therefore abstained in the vote on the Resolution. Ireland nevertheless fully cooperated, and will continue to cooperate, with requests for assistance by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Ireland has always sought to protect the independence of the Office of High Commissioner. I note the High Commissioner’s commitment to discharge the mandate of that Resolution in a legally, factually and methodologically sound manner. I further note that, upon publication of the report in 2020, then High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet concluded that it responded appropriately to the Human Rights Council’s request contained in Resolution 31/36.