By james art Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats took time in the Dail next week to pass the Occupied Territories Bill, which Social Democrat leader Holly Cairns said would “send a strong message”.
Ireland’s deputy prime minister, Michael Martin, said the bill needed to be “substantially” amended and would not progress before an election was called.
Independent senator Francis Black’s bill, introduced in 2018, has been frozen in the legislative process for years due to concerns it would breach EU law.
But the Irish government has said in recent weeks that the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) advisory opinion in the summer, which declared that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal under international law and states have a duty not to facilitate it, has changed the context.
The coalition is under pressure to pass the bill before parliament is dissolved ahead of the election.
The election is expected to be called next week and Friday, November 29, is thought to be the most likely date for an announcement.
The Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Martin said on Thursday the government would seek to move the bill to committee stage next week to prove its “good faith”.
There must be sanctions against Israel and the Occupied Territories Bill is part of that.⁰⁰We offer the Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael government our Dáil time next week to complete all stages of this legislation and make it law.⁰⁰If they are sincere , they will take advantage of this… pic.twitter.com/k0pNQ8dok8
— Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) October 31, 2024
“What I hope to do, and I will have to consult with the chairman of the foreign affairs committee, is that we believe that a hearing on the bill next week will be a demonstration of our good faith in moving the legislation forward,” he said.
“It won’t be progressed before a general election, but of course if it’s at committee stage it could be reintroduced at committee stage in a new Dail and that would be the intention.”
He said the bill needed a “significant” amendment, which he said had been recognized by Senator Black, while opposition parties said the amendments were “technical”.
Mr Martin said: “The amendments are around making it constitutionally protected from challenge and also other aspects of the bill in terms of ensuring that we can strengthen it to withstand any challenge that may come against the bill .
“It will focus on framing public policy interests within existing legal frameworks and then place it in the context of the conclusions of the ICJ’s advisory opinion.”
Social Democrat leader Holly Cairns said passing the bill could be “a fitting end to this Dail term and send a powerful message of solidarity to the Palestinian people”.
Her party and Sinn Féin have dedicated four hours each day to facilitate the passage of the bill.
“I urge the Government to take this valuable opportunity to get this important bill through which would prevent Ireland from importing goods that originate from illegal Israeli settlements across the line,” Ms Cairns said.
“As the Government’s proposed amendments to the Bill are believed to be of a technical nature, there is no reason why this legislation cannot be passed within the additional daylight hours proposed by the Opposition today.”
“He must not waste this opportunity to pass the Occupied Territories Bill.”
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou MacDonald said: “If the Government are sincere and if they are serious – and I really hope they are – I am asking them to take the opportunity we are going to give them next week to make this Bill law. We are ready for it.”