Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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9. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to report on discussions with his counterparts in Europe with regard to imposing sanctions on Israel because of its war crimes in Gaza; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27578/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the adoption of European Union sanctions on violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank, adopted on 19 March 2024. I also welcome that the EU has adopted sanctions against Hamas for sexual and gender-based violence committed on 7 October.

Ireland has continued to push for further sanctions against violent West Bank settlers at an EU level. Following Ireland's advocacy, it is positive that there was political agreement at the Foreign Affairs Council on Monday of this week to move ahead with additional EU sanctions against violent settlers - both individuals and entities - as well as further sanctions on Hamas.

As the Deputy is aware, Ireland does not impose unilateral domestic sanctions, Ireland rather applies sanctions that are adopted by the United Nations Security Council or by the European Union. We actively participate in all EU level discussions on sanctions issues, including new sanctions regimes and proposals for individual listings, and we also did so at UN level during our membership of the Security Council.

EU sanctions are implemented through EU Regulations, which are directly applicable in all Member States. In order to criminalise any breach of the Regulations as a matter of Irish law, statutory instruments are made which provide that any person who contravenes certain provisions of a regulation will be guilty of an offence and liable to prosecution.

As a matter of policy, the Government does not support the sanctioning of entire countries or peoples, but rather focuses on ensuring that all EU and UN sanctions are targeted at specific individuals and entities that are in breach of international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights.