Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-09
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Ged Nash (LAB), Louth

Another week has gone by and there is still no sign of the report on Aughinish Alumina from the Minister's Department. It is now over three months since The Irish Times published its investigation on 24 March. It is a month since Deputy Bacik asked the Taoiseach to bring forward a solution to protect jobs and to put in place a ban on exports to Russia. It is eight days since President Zelenskyy delivered a hard truth, which is that every tonne of raw materials that ends up in Russia is used in the war against Ukraine.
The evidence in the public domain is damning. The report in The Irish Times clearly showed that, based on official national statistics, over 80% of alumina from Ireland was being shipped to Russia and turned into weapons. The Minister's Department has disputed this. It says the percentage is less than 50%. Even 1% is 1% too much. Let us remember Zelenskyy's words. He said that every tonne is being used against Ukraine. That alumina is killing innocent Ukrainians every single day. Apartment blocks are being indiscriminately hit by Russian missiles and drones made with Irish materials. This is seriously damaging to our international reputation. We are complicit.
Yesterday, the European Parliament voted in favour of a proposal to ban alumina exports to Russia. This amendment was put forward by the Labour Party's S and D group colleagues and the Minister's party's own grouping, the European People's Party. We welcome Fine Gael and Sinn Féin's support for an export ban. It is disturbing that Independent Ireland's MEP voted in support of the continued export of materials of murder. After all of their strong words of support for Ukraine over many years, it is deeply concerning that Fianna Fáil MEPs abstained on a non-binding motion. The Minister's party's MEP took the morally correct position that we need a ban on these exports to Russia. Does the Minister support them? It looks to me as if Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are divided on this critical issue.
As Labour has said for months, there are options open to us to stop these lethal exports while also protecting jobs. The plant must be nationalised. We will support the Government in taking strong action that sends out an important message internationally as to where we stand. However, the Tánaiste said last week that he had not been part of any discussions about a possible nationalisation of the refinery. That is an astonishing statement to make. We are constantly being told that this operation is important to Ireland as an employer and an energy supplier and that it is vital to the EU industry supply chain. If that is the case, it is an absolute dereliction of duty if the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Minister's Department are not preparing plans with the European Commission to temporarily take over ownership of this facility, especially when Sweden has determined that the parent company is still controlled by a sanctioned Russian billionaire.
I have three simple questions for the Minister. When will the investigation be completed and the report published? Is there political division between the Government parties over Aughinish Alumina? Has the Minister's Department drawn up any plans, contingency or otherwise, to nationalise the Aughinish refinery?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:07+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-09