Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire has questioned whether the Government intends to “water down” or “drop” the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025.
Speaking in the Dáil on Thursday during a parliamentary question exchange, the Cork South-Central TD said the legislation represents the most “practical and tangible” way for the Government to exert influence.
“I cannot make up my mind as to what the Government intends to do with the occupied territories Bill,” he said.
“Does it intend to drop it entirely? Does it intend to water it down? Does it intend to put it on the long finger and maybe think about doing something later? I am not totally sure.”
Ó Laoghaire argued that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has been clear that trade with occupied territories is illegal, and there should be “criminal sanction” for those who choose to do so. He also said that “eight years is plenty of time” to have progressed the legislation.
He pointed out that Spanish legislation has already forced rental companies to remove advertisements for properties located in occupied territories.
Minister of State Neale Richmond said that the Government approved the general scheme of the Bill in June 2025 to prohibit the importation of goods from Israeli settlements.
Speaking during the exchange, the Fine Gael Minister said that while the Government is committed to the Bill, the inclusion of “services” is considerably more complex than goods under EU law.
“The advice, which is detailed and extensive, identifies a number of significant legal and practical issues with the regulation by a member state of trade in services with a country or territory outside the European Union,” Richmond said.
“Any legislation must be legally robust, able to withstand challenge and progress the Government’s broader policy agenda.”
The Minister added that the Government has sought further clarification from the Attorney General on a number of these legal issues.
People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy accused the Government of “kicking the can down the road” to avoid taking action.
In a sharp exchange, the Dublin South-West TD claimed the Government was making a “political choice” to exclude services from the Bill.
“The Government is watering this down and reneging on an election promise made by both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael,” Murphy said.
“It is trying to find some legal advice to hide behind.”
Murphy questioned why Spain, another EU member state, has been able to implement a ban on services if European law supposedly prevents it, and accused the Government of submitting to the will of US President Donald Trump.
Richmond responded by noting that Spain uses a “different legal situation” that did not require primary legislation to effect its ban.
“We have made it quite clear that we will not produce legislation that we feel will actually fail the test of EU or international law,” he continued.
“That is a very real commitment because we are talking about the rule of law and the importance of it. We have to act as such.”
The Minister stated that there is “no political obstacle” to the Bill from his perspective and that he supports the declaration made by the foreign affairs committee last summer.
First introduced by Senator Frances Black in 2018, the Occupied Territories Bill has seen several iterations in recent years. The proposed legislation aims to prohibit trade between Ireland and illegal settlements in occupied territories – most notably Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Despite securing widespread support across the Oireachtas, the Bill has stalled. The primary hurdle according to the Government is whether it complies with EU trade law, as the authority to impose trade sanctions typically rests with the European Commission rather than individual member states.
However, some commentators say the Government is actually fearful of the economic and diplomatic ramifications for Ireland’s FDI-reliant economy if the State was to take such a drastic action against one of America’s closest allies.