Tipperary Council's elected members call on Government to pass Occupied Territories Bill

Tipperary County Council's elected members have called on the Government to pass the Occupied Territories Bill that would ban trade between Ireland and Israel’s illegal settlements in Gaza and the Lebanon.

A motion unanimously approved at the Council’s latest monthly meeting calling for the bill to be passed into law, has been sent to Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin.

Its proposer Clonmel Cllr Pat English stated in the motion that as Israel continues to expand its settlements in the West Bank, it was vital they ensured these crimes “are not rewarded” with trade from Ireland.

“If the Occupied Territories Bill is passed we can set an example to other countries to follow,” he said citing the example of Ireland’s 1980s import ban on South African goods during that country’s Apartheid regime.

In proposing the motion at the Council meeting in Nenagh, the Workers & Unemployment Action Group councillor said the pressure needed to be kept on Israel by making sure Irish companies can’t trade with the country.

“The Government can no longer ignore this issue,” he said.

Carrick-on-Suir Sinn Féin Cllr David Dunne seconded the motion while Clonmel Independent Cllr Richie Molloy agreed the world had to put some moral pressure on Israel to stop its bombardment of Gaza and Lebanon.

He said it was shocking to watch on television what was going on.

“At this stage nobody could defend Israel’s actions. They seem to be hell bent on wiping out Palestine not to mention Lebanon.”

The Occupied Territories Bill, first introduced by Senator Frances Black in 2018, had up to last month been stalled in Committee stage since 2020.

But on October 22, the Tanáiste announced that a review of the Bill be carried out in light of an Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice and advice from the Attorney General. Mr Martin directed that amendments be prepared in order to bring the Bill in line with the Irish Constitution and EU law.

"The Government is committed to taking forward this work, commencing with a review of the Bill, to be progressed in consultation with the Attorney General, relevant Ministers, and the Bill's sponsor Senator Frances Black,” he said.