Helen McEntee, Ireland’s newly appointed Minister for Defence, has indicated that one of her first tasks this morning will involve discussions with her Department officials about progressing the Occupied Territories Bill.
McEntee – who, until yesterday, served as Minister for Education – was moved to Foreign Affairs and Defence as part of an abrupt Cabinet reshuffle by Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris.
On Tuesday morning, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe announced that he would be resigning as a Minister and as a TD to go take up a senior position at the World Bank. As a result, Tánaiste Simon Harris himself filled the vacated Finance portfolio, and moved McEntee out of Education and into his old job of Foreign Affairs and Defence.
Speaking in an interview on RTÉ’s Prime Time last night upon taking up the new job, McEntee was asked if she would commit to passing the Occupied Territories Bill by the end of the year – something urged by Leftwing opposition parties.
The Occupied Territories Bill is draft Irish legislation that would prohibit trade with settlements set up illegally in occupied regions, including those established by Israel.
McEntee did not give a timeframe guarantee, but said: “Well, what I’m committed to is passing it.”
Pressed on whether it would pass by the end of the year, she refused to give a precise timeline.
“Well you’ll appreciate I’m literally only into the Department,” she said.
“We’ve made a very clear commitment that we will pass it. It’s just gone through scrutiny through the Joint Oireachtas Committee. They’ve made recommendations, and we need to take on board those.”
She added that it was “one of the first things” she’d be focusing on on her first day in the role, saying: “Certainly that’s one of the first things I’ll be speaking to the Department about tomorrow when I’m in there.”
Various forms of the Bill have stalled in the Oireachtas for years, with some hesitancy in Government circles over the potential for the legislation to damage Ireland’s relationship with the US – a key ally of Israel. Others say the legislation is important to put pressure on Israel to force a peace settlement in the Middle East.