Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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131. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to outline the specific areas in which Ireland could enact sanctions unilaterally on other countries or individuals, without breaching European Union agreements or legal frameworks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4068/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland applies all sanctions that are adopted by the United Nations Security Council or by the European Union (EU).

Sanctions are an important tool to promote the objectives of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy. EU sanctions are always targeted, are based on extensive evidence packs, and are adopted under a variety of geographic and thematic sanctions regimes, unanimously adopted by Member States. In respect of sanctions measures aimed at specific individuals and entities, these can include a number of elements, including asset freezes, and visa and travel bans.

Sanctions in areas that fall under EU competence are implemented in EU Regulations, which have direct effect in all Member States. While it is difficult to be definitive as to what measures may be adopted by a Member State in the absence of unanimously adopted EU sanctions measures, in broad terms issues relating to the functioning of the Internal Market are matters of EU competence. In contrast, to the extent to which Member States retain competence in areas such as entry of third country nationals into their territory and the import and export of arms, there can be greater scope for Member States to consider adopting national measures.