Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy may know, issues related to the Occupied Territories Bill are led by colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Ireland applies a whole of Government approach to the policy of differentiation between the territories of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Furthermore, the Government’s position on the illegality of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory informs our engagement with Israel across a range of bilateral issues, including the Tánaiste's recent meetings with political counterparts during his recent visit to Israel.

However, as has been stated on several occasions, the Occupied Territories Bill would not be compatible with EU law. The Government will therefore not be taking it forward.

Ireland’s resolute opposition to illegal Israeli settlements is firmly grounded in international law. To adopt a unilateral approach, as outlined in the Occupied Territories Bill, runs contrary to legal advice and would undermine Ireland’s clear and principled stance on this issue, as well as our broader promotion of compliance with international law at the UN and other international organisations.

In terms of trade from the occupied territories, I can only comment on the figures recorded by the Central Statistics Office on trade between Ireland and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which includes the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Gaza.

In 2022, Ireland imported €200,000 of goods from the region, mainly vegetables and fruit. Ireland exported approximately €2.4m of goods to the region, much of those exports comprised of medical and pharmaceutical products.