143. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the steps he is taking to ensure that the Government and the Central Bank are acting in accordance with the recommendations set out in the report on the Israeli bond programme of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39701/26]

Sentiment score: 0.35

Israel is still issuing war bonds across the EU and using this money to fund a genocide. While our role in approving these bonds has been moved to Luxembourg, Ireland remains the home member state for Israeli bonds. We have a legal and moral obligation to do everything we can to stop genocide when it is taking place. What action is the Minister taking to ensure we are not complicit in the sale of these bonds and in implementing the recommendations from the committee's report?

Sentiment score: -0.10

I thank the Tánaiste for his response and for the work that has been done on this. What he said earlier, in response to a different question from a different Deputy, was that while we are part of the EU, we do not simply do what it tells us. Rather, we are part of shaping what it does. Clearly, therefore, the response from the European Commission is not satisfactory and is not in line with what we want as a country. What is the Tánaiste going to do to follow up with the European Commission on this? It saying it has no plans to do anything about this simply is not acceptable. We need to do as much as possible in Ireland and more broadly in the EU to address this. We cannot have a situation where bonds are being sold in Europe that have been marketed by Israel to fund its war and genocide. What follow-up action is the Minister taking with the European Commission to push it into acting on this, because its response simply is not acceptable?

Sentiment score: -0.08

I thank the Tánaiste. Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, clearly stated, “International law says that all financial actors have to abstain from being directly linked to human rights crimes”. That applies to the financial actors and authorities in Ireland, Luxembourg and across the European Union. I welcome the Minister saying he is going to raise this at a political level. What does that mean? I welcome that he is going to raise it with the Taoiseach. Who is the Minister going to talk to and when? Will he give us details of the timeline for his plans to raise this at a political level?

Sentiment score: 0.24

145. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will ensure the Irish Strategic Investment Fund, ISIF, is fully divested from all companies that are directly and indirectly involved in illegally occupied Palestinian territories, OPT; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39699/26]

Sentiment score: 0.13

The ISIF remains invested in companies that are profiting from illegally held Palestinian territories. More than €6 million of public money remained invested in six companies identified on the UN database at the end of 2024. Irish people do not want this. Will the Tánaiste ensure that the ISIF, which is public money, is divested fully from companies operating in illegally occupied Palestinian territories?

Sentiment score: 0.18

I thank the Tánaiste. I acknowledge the huge importance of the Irish support of UNRWA, the funding that is in place and the real difference it makes. I also acknowledge the Government's complete opposition to illegal occupation of Palestinian territories. However, when we are talking about the ISIF - and it has complete independence - this is public money the Government hands over the NTMA to manage on its behalf. It is fine to say the NTMA monitors this and that it is meant to be a responsible investor and is meant to worry about its reputation and so forth, but this is public money. I do not think there is any support in this House or in this country for public funds to be invested in companies profiting and operating illegally, against international law, in the occupied Palestinian territories. This requires action from the Minister as the shareholder, on behalf of the public, to ensure our money is not used in this way.

Sentiment score: 0.23

The Tánaiste expresses the views of the House to the NTMA on a frequent basis. That is welcome but, at the same time, he is equivocating a bit. He is asking how much they profit, how much they are involved and saying that is not clear, so he is kind of sending a signal, that perhaps, as the person responsible - the Minister for Finance, the shareholder - for funds, the Government is against it, but maybe it is okay. He is equivocating so I ask him not to do that. I want him to be really clear - and I think these are the views across the House and country - that we do not want a single cent of our public money to be used in this way. Will he be clear about that and clear with the NTMA? That is the kind of support that is needed on this, not equivocations saying that maybe it is okay in some circumstances. Will he be clear that we do not want a single cent to be used?

Sentiment score: 0.35