Dáil should sit during recess to fast-track Occupied Territories Bill, says Kilkenny senator

The Dáil should sit next week to fast-track the Occupied Territories Bill, Kilkenny senator Patricia Stephenson has said.

Senator Stephenson, who is the party’s foreign affairs spokesperson, said that the Bill should be enacted as a matter of urgency, even if this means recalling the Dáil next week and delaying summer recess.

“Almost six months into this government, we are only now seeing the Tánaiste bringing a memo to Cabinet today on the drafting of a bill. Like the previous administration, this government has dragged its feet when it comes to progressing the Occupied Territories Bill, which was first proposed back in 2018," she said.

“I am also concerned that the bill currently being drafted will be a watered-down version of the original, only prohibiting the importation of goods – and not services – from illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territory.
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“Former minister Roderic O’Gorman recently revealed that the last government never received advice from the Attorney General that the inclusion of services in the bill was legally problematic. Significantly, an open letter to the government, signed by more than 400 senior legal academics and lawyers, also stated there is no legal impediment to enacting the legislation.

“As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I believe the Dáil should sit next week for pre-legislative scrutiny, which would allow the bill the progress to the final stages. Government condemnation of Israel’s atrocities in Gaza is no longer enough – we need to see action now.

“Ireland has an opportunity so show leadership by enacting the Occupied Territories Bill without further delay, in the hope that other countries will follow suit.”

PROTEST
Separately, earlier this month, a peaceful protest took place outside the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) national conference in Kilkenny. Its purpose was to challenge the platform given to the Teva Pharmaceutical's Ireland Country Manager. Teva is Israel’s biggest pharmaceutical supplier and a major contributor to the country's tax coffers.

The protest was organised by FLIP the Siege, a grassroots initiative of IPSC Carlow, and supported by IPSC Kilkenny, IPSC South East, IPSC Kildare, Health Care Workers for Palestine, and other Palestine solidarity groups from across Ireland. Protesters lined the gates with banners and leaflets, calling on pharmacists and healthcare professionals to cut ties with Teva.

The protest followed a nationwide email campaign, during which hundreds of pharmacies, GPs, and other healthcare providers were contacted and urged to boycott Teva products, including Sudocrem.