Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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3. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to seek the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement during Ireland's EU Presidency, considering Israel's ongoing crimes against humanity; if the Government will enact the Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025 in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40382/26]

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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10. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to outline the efforts the Government has made to suspend the EU-Israeli Association Trade Agreement since January 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40650/26]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 10 together.

Ireland has consistently called for concrete EU action in response to egregious Israeli breaches of human rights and democratic principles.

In February 2024, Ireland was the first EU Member State, together with Spain, to call for a review of Israel’s compliance with its human rights obligations under Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. In subsequent meetings of EU Foreign Ministers, Ireland repeatedly called for an urgent review of Israel’s compliance with its obligations under the Agreement. It is clear from the now finalised review that Israel is in breach of its human rights obligations under the Agreement.

In September 2025, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a package of measures in response to Israel’s human rights violations and other breaches of international law. Ireland has been clear that these measures should be kept on the table and has raised these issues at successive meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council.

In advance of the April 2026 Foreign Affairs Council, the Foreign Ministers of Ireland, Spain and Slovenia wrote to the HR/VP requesting a discussion of the EU-Israel Association Agreement at the next meeting of Ministers. The Ministers of all three countries called for the suspension of the Association Agreement at that time, and called for action on the proposal by the European Commission to suspend the trade elements of the Association Agreement if agreement cannot be reached on suspension of the Association Agreement as a whole.

At the Foreign Affairs Council on 11 May, I again called on EU partners to re-consider the proposal to suspend the trade-related provisions of the Association Agreement. I also requested that the Commission bring forward a proposal to prohibit trade with Israeli settlements on the basis of EU Common Commercial Policy, and for decision at the June Foreign Affairs Council.

At this meeting, political agreement was also reached on the imposition of sanctions against extremist Israeli settlers and entities.

On 21 May, I attended the Trade configuration of the Foreign Affairs Council where I reiterated my call on the Commission to immediately bring forward proposals to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements.

On 26 May, the Government approved the text of the Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2026. The main purpose of the Bill is to prohibit the importation of goods into the State from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, in line with the Programme for Government commitment. Once the Bill is enacted and commenced, the importation of goods originating in the settlements into Ireland will be an offence under section 14 of the Customs Act 2015.

It remains the Government’s preference that collective action would be taken at EU level. This will have greater impact. The Government will continue to actively pursue this.