At The Seanad

at

This afternoon.

In the Seanad.

Statements on Palestine are being given before a vote on the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018 is taken.

Earlier: Meanwhile, Outside Leinster House

Previously: Why A Trade Ban Is Necessary

UPDATE: 

Tánaiste and Mininster for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney was the first politician to make a statement.

Mr Coveney said:

“Speaking on behalf of the Government, I am unable to agree that this bill is the right way forward. And I want to set out carefully for the Seanad why I believe this is so.

“There are three broad reasons. Legal, political and in terms of practical effect. The overriding point which frames the Government’s view is that the bill asks the state to do something which we do not have in our power. Ireland is part of a single, unified EU market, external trade policy, that is trade by third countries into the EU, as well as trade between the EU members states is an exclusive competence of the European Union.

“We are not in a position to raise a barrier and declare that goods legally available elsewhere in the EU cannot be brought into Ireland for sale.

“There are some other legal difficulties with the bill but I will leave those aside for now because this is the essential point. It does not concern just how the legislation is framed or drafted, but the very ability of Ireland to enact such legislation within EU rules.

“Passage of this bill would therefore be a breach of European law and exposes Ireland to potentially legal action by the European Commission or affected individuals and potentially also to fines and damages which could continue as long as the bill remained in force. This is not a course that any Government could support….”

The Seanad debate can be watched live here

UPDATE:

https://twitter.com/frances_black/status/1017075492040691718

There you go now.

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30 thoughts on “At The Seanad

  1. Kolmo

    Excellent! Marijuana is available for sale in Holland therefore it should be available to purchase here “We are not in a position to raise a barrier and declare that goods legally available elsewhere in the EU cannot be brought into Ireland for sale”

      1. Blonto

        Implications too for VRT maybe??? I believe the EU told the Irish govts years ago that it was illegal and they were to abolish it.

  2. belgravy

    happy to fight eu on Apple taxes, but not happy to not import food from illegal settlements.

    1. terry

      But we are members of the EU and rules are rules
      And you go on about the UK
      Brexit is a result of the UK deciding they must be masters of their own destiny
      And EU laws supersede our laws

      1. ReproBertie

        And the British Taoiseach is signing up to a Sasamach that means EU laws supersede UK laws even after they leave.

        Best deal ever!

  3. terry

    Firstly when out the UK is not subject to EU laws and these laws on the statute book can and will be repealed.
    they have a prime minister Irish is not the official language of the UK

    1. ReproBertie

      Sorry to burst your bubble davey boy but they absolutely will be subject to EU laws, and indeed regulations, if they wish to trade with the EU. The best part is that, like Norway, they’ll have no say on the laws or regulations. How’s that for taking back control?

      As long as the British media refer to our Taoiseach as a Prime Minister I will return the favour. Turnaround is fair play.

      Italian is not the official language of the UK but nobody’s knickers twist if someone asks for a latte or a pizza.

      1. terry

        A latté is a recognised name for a Italian coffee
        An Irish stew is the recognised name for an Irish stew
        And the UK are out of Europe and trade works both ways
        And any EU nation will have to conform to UK laws if they wish to sell in the UK and vice versa
        So your point ?
        As for anything but trade an agreement regarding anything has to be mutual
        The border issue between north and south is the most important issue and a border is a border between both and south not on the coast of UK nations
        This is where our political leaders are failing big time
        And this could result in the Sinn feinners no longer able to control their rabid terrorist army
        Already trouble on the bogside with connections to IRA factions

        1. ReproBertie

          Here are some of my many points that need to be explained again and again and that you still won’t get.

          Taoiseach is the official name for the head of the Irish government. Like latté it’s a word from another language which has become part of the English language.

          After Sasamach the UK will still be subject to EU rules and regulations but will have no say over them.

          The UK is already planning to lower standards in desperation to secure a trade deal (After two years, how many trade deals has Fox signed?) so the EU won’t be worrying too much about meeting the requirements of a small voiceless colony.

          A soft Sasamach, which looks inevitable, will mean no change the border between the Republic and Northern Ireland.

          These are all things that are easy to understand. What’s hard to understand is your bizarre desire for a return to violence in Northern Ireland.

  4. rotide

    So if there’s a pie factory in gaza and that employs 750 people, we shouldn’t be buying those pies and put the 750 people out of a job and deliver them into hopeless poverty?

    1. terry

      That sums up the BDS mentality if the plant is owned or run by a Jew
      The main obstacle to a two state solution is the continuous attacks by the likes of Hamas
      If you want peace you stop attacking a country you want to deal with
      Hamas will not stop and Israel has no other option but to continue cracking down
      So the middle ground has no chance to even get elected

      1. Starina

        It has nothing to do with Jews, david. It has to do with arpartheid. It’s a complicated situation but it’s still apartheid.

        1. rotide

          1. Its not apartheid
          2. It has everything to do with Jews (actually, Isralealis really)

          1. bisted

            …’can’t believe it’s not apartheid’…actually, I can believe it’s apartheid…it’s apartheid…

            nothing to do with Jews (actually, murderous zionists)

        2. terry

          Starina you misuse the word apartheid
          Read a bit of history
          In 1947 a 2 state solution was offered the Israelis accepted birth of Israel
          The Palestinian Muslims rejected it hence stateless
          Its there all in its glory
          The Muslims that left Israel due to threats by other Palestinians and as a result of fit for tat killings from both sides
          A war broke out to crush the fledgling state and Palestinians who left and there were many joined other armies including the Syrian army to destroy Israel
          Look up the history books or even watch an aljazera documentary about it
          Israel won that war and all others that followed started not by Israel but other Arab nations
          As the Palestinian Muslims left because they would not accept Israeli rule either by choice or coercion hundreds of thousands of middle eastern Jews were ejected from Arab lands leaving their homes their businesses their communities behind with nothing but what they carried
          Any Arab Christian Muslim Jew who accepts Israeli citizenship and allegence is protected by law
          Those who wish destruction of Israel like all that wish destruction of the country that they live in are treated as enemies of the state
          These people you refer to as victims of apartheid do not live in Israel they live in the west bank under Fatah and Gaza under Hamas and are not Israeli citizens
          And there lies the crux of the issue

        3. Andrew

          It’s not apartheid, if you think it is then you don’t understand what the word means.
          Yes, it is all about Jews,.
          I don’t remember Frances’ bill for boycotting Turkey,Saudi,Iran, China? Why not?

  5. bisted

    …big turnout of the hasbara brigade…haven’t seen the like of it since the last big wave of ethnic cleansing…can’t believe Frances Black would elicit this response…are ye going to bomb Iran?

    1. terry

      Israel will bomb Iran if a threat to Israel emerges like for example Hezbollah
      They have already
      As for Iran’s nuclear programme well I am sure before they can say heavy water the facility will be a massive crater
      Trump was dead right

    2. terry

      Busted
      Why do halting sites all have massive walls round them?
      Why are the travelling community treated so badly discriminated against in education employment housing health?
      Please explain why this is not apartheid
      It seems to me apartheid on the scale of botha’s south Africa minus the beatings
      Why did it take the UN to act before the government finally after decades gave them an ethnic status
      Well you cannot can you
      So lets talk about anti Semitism?

      1. bisted

        …you are absolutely right terry – in fact I suspect you are usually always absolutely right – anyway,what we should do is bring in the bulldozers and build up big ramparts beside those walls…and put loads of snipers on to of the mounds…but you can guess the rest…oh…and anyone that demurs…sure we’ll just call them anti-semitic…

  6. postmanpat

    729 While the politicians blah blah blah stall debate blah blah and ultimately do nothing policy wise (they are not going to ban anything,) then its up to the consumer to boycott Israeli goods and services and spread the word. In this glorious age of information that has never been easier . 729 is the first 3 digits on the barcodes of most, but not all, Israeli products. Don’t buy these products until these white nationalists stop shooting unarmed kids. https://www.ipsc.ie/campaigns/consumer-boycott currently there is no peace process in the region. none. Israel has entered an endgame straight out of the Bible/ Tora or whatever millennia’s old word of god fiction that idiots still believe in. The Palestinians will be wiped out in our lifetime. because countries will continue to trade with Israel and all for degusting corporate profits that the common European wont benefit from , just the upper management and CEOs with there big bonuses and 7 figure salaries who will bring out the Hamas argument whenever there conscience, (assuming they have any) gets in the way. The practically unchallenged white superior attitude of the Israeli government should make anyone sick. There is nothing Israel is selling that anyone can buy elsewhere. Boycott.

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