Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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126. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his assessment of the actions taken by the present United States administration to put sanctions on the International Criminal Court and it’s members; the nature of Ireland’s part in this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5771/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland is a strong supporter of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a cornerstone of the international system of criminal justice. For this reason the Executive Order signed by President Trump on 6 February is a cause of concern. The Order authorises the imposition of sanctions on officials of the ICC and imposes sanctions on the Court's Prosecutor. It is important that the Court is allowed to carry out its work in an independent and impartial manner.

Ireland has engaged in several initiatives to protect the integrity of the ICC. We have used our voice in international fora, such as the EU, the ICC’s Assembly of States Parties and the UN, to highlight the importance of protecting the independence of the Court from any external measures aimed against it. Officials in my Department have engaged in outreach efforts to underline our support for the Court and highlight the adverse consequences that US sanctions on the Court may have. Ireland is one of 79 States Parties to the Rome Statute that issued a joint statement on 7 February, reaffirming our support for the Court and regretting the impact of US sanctions.

We will continue to engage with the Court and our international partners, including within the EU, on how we can best support the ICC and assist in fulfilling its mandate to end impunity.