Defence Forces
Dail Éireann — 2021-11-18
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John Brady (SF), Wicklow

According to a previous figure we were given, €14.7 million worth of military equipment was imported from Israel and Israeli arms companies. That included equipment for the Army such as spy equipment, artillery control systems, sophisticated weaponry such as that used by forces to fire around corners, Kevlar helmets and drones for spying.
It would not be lost on the Minister that, in 2013, Ireland signed up with a number of other countries at the UN to the Arms Trade Treaty. That treaty prohibits the State from authorising arms exports where it has knowledge that the weapons will be used in the commission of genocide, crimes against humanity, grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions or other war crimes.
Israel is actively being investigated for war crimes. This House has declared - and the Minister has declared - that they have breached international law by annexing Palestinian land. Will he now agree to impose an arms embargo on Israel to stop any military purchase from Israel of equipment that has been essentially tested on Palestinian people in the occupied territories?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2021-11-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:49:50+00:00
Sitting date: 2021-11-18