Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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113. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide an update on the Occupied Territories Bill and the possibility of dealing with services as well as goods and any other sanction on Israel that is available to this State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43453/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, On 24 June, the Government approved the General Scheme of the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025. The scheme delivers on the commitment in the Programme for Government to progress legislation prohibiting the import of goods from settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, following the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice of 19 July 2024.

The General Scheme was been referred to the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for Pre-Legislative Scrutiny. The Committee held a number of hearings and received inputs reflecting a range of views and perspectives. I look forward to considering the Committee's report on the matter in due course.

With regard to services, 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.

In parallel, Ireland continues to press for action at the EU level in light of the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice. This was a key focus of our engagement with EU partners in advance of and at the June and July Foreign Affairs Councils.

I joined nine other EU Foreign Ministers in writing a letter to the High Representative calling for the EU to undertake a detailed review of its compliance with the Advisory Opinion of the ICJ and specific actions to conform with its findings. I have been calling for this work for some time, and will continue to press for action. It is essential that the EU abide by its commitments under international law.