Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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329. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No. 71 of 23 May 2024, the number of dual-use export licence applications in respect of end-users in Israel approved by his Department in the period 7 October 2023 to end 2023, and to date in 2024; the value of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44332/24]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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My Department is the National Competent Authority with responsibility for Export Controls, including Controls on defence-related exports and exports of dual-Use goods. Controls on the export of dual-use items are administered by my Department, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council setting up a Union regime for the control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use items.

The bulk of dual-use exports from Ireland are mainstream business ICT products, both hardware and software (networking, data storage, cybersecurity etc). They are categorised as dual-use items as a consequence of the fact that they incorporate strong encryption for ICT security purposes.

In the period 7 October 2023 to 31 December 2023, there were 2 individual dual-use licences issued for the export of dual use items to Israel with a value of €30.9 million. To date in 2024, there have been 25 individual dual-use licences issued with a value of €35.5 million. The majority of dual use exports to Israel are ICT hardware and software.

All export licence applications are considered by my officials in accordance with criteria set out within the relevant dual-use and military EU and National Regulations and with Ireland’s international obligations and responsibilities as members of non-proliferation regimes and export control arrangements. On receipt of an application for an export licence, my officials carry out an assessment which includes a series of checks to ensure, as far as possible, that the item to be exported will be used by the stated end-user for the stated end-use and will not be used for illicit purposes.

As part of their assessment, my officials seek the views of the Department of Foreign Affairs in respect of all applications for dual use export licences, including those destined for Israeli end users. Both my own Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs review all dual-use export licence applications against the eight assessment criteria set out in Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP.

If there are any concerns that the goods being exported will be used for a military end-use or if the exporter does not provide enough information on the intended end-use for my officials to make an informed decision, the application for a licence is denied.

In applying export controls in a robust and transparent way, the Department ensures that legitimate business transactions by reputable Irish traders are not damaged in any way while also ensuring that exports of controlled goods are thoroughly risk assessed in the context of ongoing conflicts, diversion of goods and humanitarian considerations.