Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2026: Second Stage Dail Éireann — 2026-06-10 ============================================================ Thomas Byrne (FF), Meath East This is the only aspect of the Spanish legislation that relates to services. The focus of the Spanish legislation is on the prohibition of the importation of goods. National legislation being taken forward by other EU member states is similarly focused on goods. Again, I remind the House that Ireland was the first EU country to announce its intention to prohibit the importation of settlement goods and other EU member states have followed that lead. On the potential economic implications, the Oireachtas committee asked the Government to look at this. The Government does not have the luxury of putting forward proposals without fully working through all of the potential consequences. That includes potential implications for the economy and for jobs. These have been outlined in debates between the Taoiseach and Deputy Boyd Barrett in here. The Government has taken the time to carefully consider all of the options as well as the proposals that have been made as part of the debate in this House and during the pre-legislative scrutiny process. For those who dismiss the potential economic implications or who feel we should gamble or take a risk with them, the question is whose jobs they are willing to sacrifice. What companies do they want to see leave Ireland? That is a question that some people are quite prepared to answer in this House. I am not accusing the Deputies opposite but there are Deputies who are more than happy to answer that question. We need to be honest with people. The Government's job is to protect the interests of Irish people and to use that interest to make our voice heard at international level. The Government has a track record of taking action in response to the actions taken by the Israeli Government which contravene international law. We are fulfilling our programme for Government commitment and this Bill is significant legislation. It is possible, because of the findings of the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, that it will also contribute positively to Irish and international efforts to prevent unilateral actions that impinge upon the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and upon the viability of the two-state solution. The two-state solution is the only answer here, to have Israel and Palestine, side by side, in peace and security. Who was the first Western politician to put forward that as a serious proposition? It was Brian Lenihan senior, in 1980, when he was Minister for Foreign Affairs. This Irish Government and Irish governments in general have led from the front on all of this. We have led from the front on the issue of trade with settlements and on the recognition of Palestine. We will continue to lead on the need for effective EU action. On Friday, at the invitation of the French Minister for foreign affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, I will represent the Irish Government at the second edition of the Paris call for the two-state solution. As a Government, our overarching approach encompasses our commitment to working with key partners to end the conflict in Gaza and to advance a sustainable peace plan ending the conflict and addressing the huge challenges facing Palestinians in Gaza. It encompasses our commitment to supporting a Palestinian state consisting of Gaza and the West Bank, including east Jerusalem. It also encompasses our commitment to achieving a just and lasting peace where Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side, in two states, Israel and Palestine, in peace, security and dignity within agreed borders based on 1967 borders. We have always been clear that our goal is for both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security. The cycle of violence must be brought to an end. The suffering of Palestinians and Israelis needs to end. We must always be careful to remember that and to leave space for the people to people contacts that have always been the most valuable part of the relationship between Ireland and Israel. As a Minister of State in this Government, I want to stress that we must distinguish between the policies of the Israeli Government and the Israeli people. From our own history on this island we know that the politics of division never advances a peaceful outcome. Ireland's position on the Middle East is firmly rooted in respect for human rights and international law in both word and deed. Collective action at the EU level would be most effective in this case. The Government is proceeding with this Bill in accordance with its commitments under the programme for Government and I thank Members for their contributions to the debate on this Bill. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-06-10/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:47+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-06-10