70. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress on the drafting of the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory (prohibition of importation of goods) Bill 2025; if she will outline the recent advice she has received from the Attorney General; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23431/26]

Sentiment score: 0.15

This question has been frequently debated in recent months and years. The Government was elected on the basis of both parties committing to pass the occupied territories Bill, not a watered-down version of it. In any event, the progress we have seen on any occupied territories legislation has been quite halting since the election of this Government. When are we going to see that Bill on the floor of the Dáil?

Sentiment score: 0.22

My concern and that of a lot of people is that we are going to continue with this dance whereby the Attorney General sends something across to the Government, the Government looks for clarification, the Attorney General sends something back and we are at this slow-bicycle race forever. The urgency of this is very clear. For all of the talk of the ceasefire, the Board of Peace and so on, the situation on the ground is desperate. The Minister is quite aware, I am sure, that at the minute aid organisations are being restricted from going into Gaza and that settler violence is on a scale we have not seen in quite some time. Torture is being used. There is the appalling story of a two-year old child being tortured in front of his father with a view to extracting who knows what. There is talk of sexual abuse in forms of interrogation and many other appalling stories are coming out of Gaza, all because there has not been accountability. It is important that there is accountability. There are actions Ireland can take. I would not overstate our influence but we should use what leverage we have and this is clearly one instance of it. We need to get this Bill onto the floor of the Dáil and debate it. Let us have the debate on the amendments. We currently have no clear sense of when this is going to come forward and that is not acceptable.

Sentiment score: -0.11

The manifesto commitments were different from the programme for Government commitments but both Government parties had access to the Attorney General's advice at that point, which was that while it is challenging to do, there is no particular obstacle to acting on services as well as goods. The Minister talked about other European countries. Ireland is now but one of five that are examining this. One of those, Spain, has effectively completed the action and another, Slovenia, is quite well advanced, as I understand it. Spain has been able to bring services into the ambit of the legislation, albeit in relation to advertisements. The fact that Spain has been able to do that and that there have been much less successful infringement proceedings against the Spanish Government demonstrates that it is possible to do this under EU legislation that there is no obstacle to acting on services. What I want to know from the Minister, first and foremost, and I ask her to be as clear as possible, is when a Bill is going to come before these Houses. When are we going to be able to debate it and pass it?

Sentiment score: 0.14

72. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the Government will make efforts to ensure that European sanctions are made against Rosatom, the Russian atomic agency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23432/26]

Sentiment score: 0.13

In the four years since the start of Russia's appalling war of aggression against Ukraine, there has been a wide range of sanctions against Russian individuals and companies, and against the Russian Government. In recent days, we have, unfortunately, seen an easing of sanctions on oil and gas by the United States. I am sure that is something the Minister regrets. That move makes it all the more important that Europe maintains a robust approach to sanctions. It is remarkable that four years in, given the centrality of atomic energy to the Russian economy and the Russian war effort, the Russian atomic agency, Rosatom, has not been sanctioned. I want the Minister to raise the issue at the European level and encourage action.

Sentiment score: 0.13

The Minister will be well familiar with our support for civilian, humanitarian and infrastructural aid. That has been the case for several years, continues to be the case and will be the case in the future. I welcome what the Minister has said about the sanctions. The package continues to be worked upon. The issue of sanctions against Rosatom is a very clear priority for the Ukrainian Government, as was articulated by President Zelenskyy in mid-February. He has called for sanctions, given the centrality of the atomic agency to the Russian economy and the war of aggression. The Minister talked about the issue of nuclear safety. There is also the issue that nuclear infrastructure has been targeted in a way that is very dangerous to the civilian population in Zaporizhzhia. There have also been attacks on the protective shell at Chernobyl. Obviously, that will cause a huge amount of concern for people, when they cast their minds to the potential ramifications of that, so that is all the more reason. I appreciate this is agreed at European level. The Minister talked about countries being vulnerable in terms of the supply chain. Ireland is not one of those countries. There is no reason Ireland should not push it. Will the Minister commit to using her voice to specifically call at a European level for such sanctions?

Sentiment score: 0.06

I say again to the Minister that civil, humanitarian and infrastructural aid is important. It should continue and Ireland should continue to support that. I will raise the issue of Aughinish Alumina in County Limerick, which provides alumina. In recent days, a report in The Irish Times highlighted the fact that smelters supply aluminium to a Moscow-based trading company, which in turn supplies Russia's military industry. That is obviously a concern. The Russian smelters and Aughinish are owned by Rusal, a company with deep connections to the Kremlin and Moscow's arms industry. It is important, when we are considering how to ensure sanctions are effective, that issues like this are taken into account. I will again ask the Minister specifically. She talked in generalities about the need to support sanctions. I agree with her but I ask her specifically, and I want a clear response in relation to this, whether it is her intention to raise the specific item of Rosatom, which is a priority for the Ukrainian Government. Will she specifically ask that this be included in the next package? That is not a difficult question to answer. I want a clear answer to that and not on the Government's support for sanctions generally. I am aware of that. I appreciate and welcome it but will she call for that specifically?

Sentiment score: 0.26

I ask the Minister to please clarify-----

Sentiment score: 0.32