Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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14. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason the import of trade in services from the occupied Palestinian territories, and exports from Ireland to the occupied Palestinian territories in both goods and services, have been excluded from the general scheme of the Israeli settlements in the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38299/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As this House will be aware, 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 provisions of that Bill in order to bring it in line with the Constitution and to try to reduce the risk of EU infringement procedures.

On 24 June, the Government approved the General Scheme of the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill. The General Scheme has now been referred to the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for Pre-Legislative Scrutiny, which began last week.

The main purpose of the Bill is to prohibit the importation of goods into the State from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. The Bill, if enacted, will deliver on the commitment in the Programme for Government to progress legislation prohibiting import of goods from the settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory following the ICJ Advisory Opinion.

With regard to services, the General Scheme does not prohibit trade in services with natural or legal persons located in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. Legal clarity is needed on whether or not it is possible to include services, and I have asked the Attorney General to advise on this.

My department has been engaging with the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade on the General Scheme of the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill as pre-legislative scrutiny continues.

In parallel, Ireland continues to press for action at the EU level in light of the ICJ Advisory Opinion.