Tom Brabazon (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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183. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the current status of the implementation of the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018; and the work his Department has carried out on this Bill since he took office. [24916/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I remain extremely concerned by the negative trajectory of the situation on the ground in Israel and in Palestine.

My focus and that of the Government is on supporting international efforts to bring about the immediate cessation of hostilities, a return to the ceasefire and hostage release agreement, and its full implementation including the release of hostages and the resumption of humanitarian access at scale.

As the Deputy will recall, the Government carried out an extensive analysis and review of the Occupied Territories Bill late last year. The Government’s analysis was that substantive amendments would be required to most, if not all, of the Bill’s provisions in order to bring it in line with the Constitution and to try to reduce the risk of EU infringement procedures.

The Programme for Government sets out a commitment to progress legislation prohibiting goods from Occupied Palestinian Territories following the July 2024 International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion. I am committed to fulfilling the commitment in the Programme for Government. In this context, I had a productive meeting with Senator Frances Black on 7 May. I have asked officials to take work forward.

I can assure the House that Ireland will continue to use all the tools at its disposal- political, legal, diplomatic and humanitarian - in response to this dreadful conflict.