Malcolm Byrne
Ceist:251. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach if his Department has any usage policy on or if it sanctions for official purposes the use of messaging apps (details supplied) [37210/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSocial Media
Ceisteanna (251)
Freagraí scríofa
All Department of the Taoiseach official devices and the software applications that run on them comply with guidance provided by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). This guidance is based on risk assessments appropriate to the circumstances and is kept under continuous review by the Department and the NCSC.
The Department's ICT Policy states that staff should not download, install or execute software applications for connecting to external Instant Messaging on computers provided by the Department without the prior approval of the Department's IT Unit. The use of Instant Messaging applications is not prohibited on mobile devices.
The Department requires all users of official devices to exercise appropriate discretion in their use and to use these devices in compliance with the Department's acceptable usage policies, relevant legislation and the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour.
Departmental Contracts
Ceisteanna (252)
Aidan Farrelly
Ceist:252. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Taoiseach if his Department or any bodies and agencies under its aegis use, or have in the past used, software and or products from a company (details supplied); the duration and cost of the contract; and the services they avail of from the company. [35874/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Neither the Department of the Taoiseach nor the National Economic and Social Development Office - the only body under the aegis of the Department - use, or have used in the past, software or products from the company specified.
Departmental Correspondence
Ceisteanna (253)
Ged Nash
Ceist:253. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Taoiseach to provide a copy of the recent correspondence issued by the Minister for Public Expenditure; National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to his Department referred to in media reports (details supplied); if he will provide details of the percentage reduction(s) in spending in his Department referenced in the correspondence. [36414/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Following the Government decision to apply an expenditure levy on Votes in 2027, the Department of the Taoiseach is engaging actively and constructively with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (DPER) on application of the levy to the Department’s Vote allocation.
As this process is currently ongoing, it is not possible, at this time, to provide details of percentage reductions.
Departmental Staff
Ceisteanna (254)
Malcolm Byrne
Ceist:254. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach the number of additional staff employed or that will be employed by his Department directly or under contract for the purposes of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026 [37461/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Department of the Taoiseach prioritises building and sustaining a dynamic,?agile?and responsive workforce that supports the Taoiseach and the Government, and is aligned to the Department’s Statement of Strategy.
The Department maintains a constant focus on being a lean, agile organisation by resourcing new and expanding work areas by reallocating existing resources and, only where necessary, recruiting additional staff.
In respect of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026, the Department has employed three Presidency Policy Officers on temporary contracts at the Civil Service grade of Administrative Officer.
Overseas Development Aid
Ceisteanna (255, 256)
Emer Currie
Ceist:255. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland provides financial assistance or development aid to the government of Senegal or any of its agencies; if this will be reviewed in the light of that country’s increased penalties (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36684/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraEmer Currie
Ceist:256. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she has considered writing review clauses into development co-operation agreements with recipient Governments which would be triggered in the event of backsliding on democracy, the rule of law or human rights (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36685/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 255 and 256 together.
The Government's international development cooperation programme has a strong focus on Africa, with bilateral programmes guided by the priorities set out in the international development policy, A Better World. Programmes prioritise reaching the furthest behind by reducing humanitarian need, advancing gender equality, strengthening governance and addressing the climate crisis. Funding is channelled primarily through local and international NGOs, multilateral organisations and other international partners.
Our Embassy in Senegal is Ireland's most recently established Embassy in Africa, opening in 2023. Over the three years, 2023 to 2025, we provided over €7.9 million in Official Development Assistance (ODA) for development cooperation projects in Senegal. These focus on food security, climate change, women and youth empowerment, and support to civil society.
The funding is channelled through local and international NGOs and international partners, and is based on funding agreements with the relevant partner organisation, concluded after a detailed, case-by-case assessment. These agreements are subject to the detailed grant-awarding and management processes operated by Irish Aid.
The Government is very concerned by the recently adopted legislation in Senegal imposing a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment for same-sex relations and criminalising actions deemed to finance or promote LGBTIQ+ activities. Our Embassy in Dakar has raised these concerns directly with the Government of Senegal.
The Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Jack Chambers TD, visited Senegal in March 2026 as part of the Government’s St Patrick’s Day programme. He raised the Government's concerns on this issue directly with the Senegalese Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation and with the Minister of Youth and Sports. He also discussed the situation with the UN Resident Coordinator in Senegal.
The promotion and protection of the rights of LGBTIQ+ persons is both a domestic and foreign policy priority for Ireland. We recognise that LGBTIQ+ persons continue to face systemic discrimination in many countries and suffer disproportionate levels of violence and we are active in advocating for their rights. Ireland has made defending the rights of LGBTIQ+ persons one of our top priorities in our campaign for election to the UN Human Rights Council.
Through our mission network and our international development programme, the Government supports civil society organisations and human rights defenders working to defend LGBTIQ+ rights. We will continue to prioritise the promotion and protection of the rights of LGBTIQ+ persons and to support partners working directly to promote human rights and accountability.
Question No. 256 answered with Question No. 255.
Abortion Services
Ceisteanna (257, 258, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266)
Ken O'Flynn
Ceist:257. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether her Department maintains any formal written definition distinguishing abortion services, post-abortion care, abortion-related advocacy, reproductive-health policy activity, and maternal healthcare within Official Development Assistance reporting frameworks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36810/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraKen O'Flynn
Ceist:258. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether any recipient organisation of Irish Official Development Assistance funding is contractually prohibited from using Irish taxpayer funding, directly or indirectly, for the provision, promotion, or advocacy of abortion services internationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36811/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraKen O'Flynn
Ceist:259. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether her Department has conducted any assessment of fungibility risks whereby Irish Official Development Assistance funding provided to multilateral organisations may indirectly support abortion-related activity through pooled funding arrangements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36812/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraKen O'Flynn
Ceist:260. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether her Department requires recipient organisations receiving sexual and reproductive health funding to separately identify expenditure on maternal healthcare, contraception, HIV prevention, post-abortion care, abortion-related advocacy, and abortion-service provision in financial reporting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36813/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraKen O'Flynn
Ceist:261. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether any independent audit or verification process is applied by her Department to outcome metrics supplied by recipient organisations relating to "unsafe abortions averted", unintended pregnancies prevented, or related reproductive-health indicators; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36814/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraKen O'Flynn
Ceist:262. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether Ireland has ever raised concerns, objections, abstentions, or reservations at UN Executive Board level regarding abortion-related programming, advocacy, terminology, or reporting by organisations receiving Irish Official Development Assistance funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36815/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraKen O'Flynn
Ceist:263. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether her Department can identify, from existing reporting systems, the proportion of Irish sexual and reproductive health funding allocated specifically to maternal health, contraception, HIV prevention, post-abortion care, and abortion-related advocacy respectively in each year since 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36816/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraKen O'Flynn
Ceist:264. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether her Department maintains a central register identifying organisations in receipt of Irish Official Development Assistance funding which publicly campaign for changes to abortion laws internationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36817/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraKen O'Flynn
Ceist:265. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether any legal advice has been sought since 2019 regarding the compatibility of pooled multilateral funding arrangements with Government assurances that Irish taxpayer funding is not used for abortion-related purposes internationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36818/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraKen O'Flynn
Ceist:266. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether the Department intends to introduce a more detailed expenditure-classification and reporting framework for sexual and reproductive health funding in order to improve transparency and public accountability regarding the end-use of Irish overseas aid funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36819/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 257, 258, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265 and 266 together.
The Government's policy for international development, A Better World, recognises sexual and reproductive health and rights as fundamental to women's health and essential for gender equality.
Sexual and reproductive health refers to a broad range of services that can include contraception, fertility and infertility care, maternal care, and, protection from sexual and gender-based violence.
Ireland’s development cooperation is informed by World Health Organisation standards and guidance. The promotion or provision of abortion is not a central element of our development cooperation programmes, and no funding is earmarked for this purpose. Furthermore, in line with WHO norms, abortion is not promoted as a method of family planning. We place a particular emphasis on measures such as contraception and education to prevent unintended pregnancies, including in humanitarian settings. This helps in the achievement of better health outcomes for children, and the reduction of maternal mortality, unsafe abortion, and the incidence of obstetric fistula.
Health care and service providers supported with Official Development Assistance (ODA) are required to adhere to relevant national laws and regulations and WHO standards and guidelines for care. In the management and oversight of ODA, Ireland classifies and reports on all funding in line with the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) purpose codes. Ireland engages actively with the DAC and its relevant working groups to agree ODA classifications and provide an internationally comparable basis for describing, measuring and reporting on ODA in a transparent and publically accountable manner. Donors are not required to maintain additional definitions or apply a further classification system
Prior to funding decisions, programmes are assessed to ensure that planned activities will meet identified needs. All funding arrangements are backed up by grant agreements, or contracts. While contracts do not include exhaustive listings of precluded or prohibited actions for specific sectors or operating environments, the Department reserves the right to reduce grants, stop transfers, withhold future payments, or seek refunds if contractual obligations are not met, including where expenditure is deemed to be materially at odds with the spirit and intention of the award.
There is a robust system in place to ensure Ireland’s ODA is used for its intended purpose from point of payment through to the final point of expenditure. In the management and oversight of ODA, fungibility risks, like all risks, are assessed through upfront due diligence assessments of programmes and partners, including in regard to fund flows and financial controls, to ensure funding will be used for the intended purpose. This applies to all organisations, and for direct and pooled funding arrangements. Following grant approval, all risks continue to be monitored through periodic financial and narrative reporting, audit findings, monitoring meetings, and ongoing engagement with the recipient organisation. The relevance and efficacy of the Department’s approach to the management and oversight of ODA, including the comprehensive set of checks and balances, is kept under review, including through periodic reviews undertaken by the OECD DAC, which has found internal and external controls to be effective. In this regard, it has not been considered necessary to obtain legal advice specifically on the issue of the compatibility of pooled multilateral mechanisms with Government policy on sexual and reproductive health.
In tracking and reporting end-use of funding, organisations typically report against a pre-agreed set of activities and results, or outcomes, and related expenditure plans. There is no requirement to record or report on proportionate expenditure against all outcomes relevant for the broad sexual and reproductive health and rights agenda. However, organisations are required to present and report against activities, outcomes and expenditure in line with their known areas of expertise, including, for example, the prevention and treatment of HIV, family planning or maternal health. Intended outcomes are set out in strategies and detailed programme documents which are appraised and assessed prior to any funding decisions, in line with the Department’s Standard Approach to Grant Management. Results reported by ODA recipients are typically verified through a combination of desk and in-person monitoring and independent evaluation. Progress and performance is additionally assessed and discussed through partner and donor group meetings, including where relevant through participation in UN Executive Boards. Executive Boards provide intergovernmental support to and supervision of UN agency activities in accordance with the policy guidance of the UN General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, and the United Nations Charter.
The Department maintains comprehensive records in relation to all organisations in receipt of Irish Official Development Assistance, including full information on the purpose of funding, in line with OECD DAC reporting requirements.
Question No. 258 answered with Question No. 257.
Question No. 259 answered with Question No. 257.
Question No. 260 answered with Question No. 257.
Question No. 261 answered with Question No. 257.
Question No. 262 answered with Question No. 257.
Question No. 263 answered with Question No. 257.
Question No. 264 answered with Question No. 257.
Question No. 265 answered with Question No. 257.
Question No. 266 answered with Question No. 257.
Consular Services
Ceisteanna (267)
Paul Donnelly
Ceist:267. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of applications made to the Irish embassy in Abu Dhabi for Irish citizens located in Doha, Qatar to attend the consular clinic at the embassy on 10 May 2026. [36837/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
On Sunday, 10 May 2026, the Embassy of Ireland, Abu Dhabi hosted a Consular Clinic for Irish citizens in Doha, Qatar. The Embassy publicised the Consular Clinic in advance and a total of 17 appointments were availed of by Irish citizens. Advice and assistance was provided on a wide range of consular matters. A detailed list of the consular services that the Embassy provides can be viewed at www.ireland.ie/en/uae/abudhabi/services/.
Further Consular Clinics will be held in the future, with dates advertised in advance on the Embassy’s social media platforms and the Embassy of Ireland website, which can be accessed from www.ireland.ie/en/uae/abudhabi/.
Departmental Meetings
Ceisteanna (268)
Aidan Farrelly
Ceist:268. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the level of engagements between her Department and the government of Indonesia in 2025 and to-date in 2026. [36895/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Ireland’s bilateral ties with Indonesia are strong and growing. Our relationship dates back to the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1984 and was strengthened by the opening of an Irish Embassy in Jakarta in 2014. The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in London is accredited to Ireland and my Department is in regular contact with its officials. In recent years, our relations with the Republic of Indonesia have been further enhanced within the framework of my Department’s Asia Pacific Strategy.
Ireland regularly engages with Indonesia both bilaterally and in multilateral fora. Our relationship has a strong foundation in our shared values, strong people-to-people links, cultural exchange, and our growing trade and investment ties.
A Memorandum of Understanding between Indonesia and Ireland on the establishment of a bilateral consultation mechanism was signed in 2024 by my predecessor as Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin T.D. and his Indonesian counterpart, when they met in New York at the UN General Assembly. Ireland will host the second round of bilateral consultations in Dublin on 25 June 2026, at Director General Level.
Ireland's Ambassador and Embassy team in Jakarta interact regularly with Indonesian officials and Ministers, on the full range of Ireland's interests. For example, Ireland’s Ambassador to Indonesia hosted a working dinner with the Indonesian Minister for Creative Economy in March, where a number of new avenues for potential collaboration were discussed. Ireland’s Embassy in Jakarta also provides ongoing support to the newly-established Irish Chamber of Commerce-Indonesia, which is already making a positive impact for Ireland-Indonesia economic relations.
Cooperation between Ireland and Indonesia is enhanced by the cooperation between our respective regional organisations, the EU and ASEAN. The most recent EU-ASEAN Ministerial meeting in Brunei in April this year agreed a Joint Ministerial Statement which addresses the full range of issues facing both regions, including trade, preserving the rules-based international order and upholding multilateralism, energy security and climate change, digitalisation and maritime security.
My Department remains committed to further deepening and strengthening the already strong bilateral ties between Ireland and the Republic of Indonesia.
Passport Services
Ceisteanna (269, 274, 275, 277, 278, 279, 281, 282, 283, 284, 291, 294, 295, 296, 298)
Michael Murphy
Ceist:269. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will review passport renewal requirements for widowed parents who must repeatedly submit bereavement documentation for their children's passports; if she will introduce a once-off verification system for such cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36989/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:274. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if her Department will examine the introduction of a system whereby bereavement documents need only be submitted once (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37115/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Conor Sheehan
Ceist:275. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will introduce a once off verification system for passport applications in the case of widowed parents so bereavement documents for their spouses only need to be submitted once unless family circumstances change; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37123/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Robert O'Donoghue
Ceist:277. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she is aware of concerns raised by an organisation (details supplied) regarding the current child passport renewal process, which requires widowed parents to repeatedly submit death certificates and sworn affidavits each time a child’s passport is renewed; if she will consider introducing a once-off verification system within the passport service in order that bereavement documentation only needs to be submitted once unless family circumstances change; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37147/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra
John Paul O'Shea
Ceist:278. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she is aware that widowed parents are required to repeatedly submit death certificates and sworn affidavits when renewing children’s passports; if she will review this requirement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37188/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraJohn Paul O'Shea
Ceist:279. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether consideration is being given to introducing a once-off verification process for bereaved parents renewing children’s passports, whereby bereavement documentation will only need to be submitted once unless family circumstances change; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37189/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Barry Ward
Ceist:281. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if her attention has been drawn to a campaign (details supplied); if this can be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37235/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraBarry Ward
Ceist:282. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will consider facilitating a meeting with a group (details supplied) to discuss their concerns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37236/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraBarry Ward
Ceist:283. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade her views on the merits of amending the requirements for child passport renewals (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37237/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Michael Fitzmaurice
Ceist:284. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the plans to implement a change to the application process for widowed parents to renew their child's passport so that a once off verification process of death would protect safeguards while showing basic compassion to bereaved families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37239/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Pat Buckley
Ceist:291. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in relation to a passport application and renewal process for children’s passports, if changes (details supplied) will be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37593/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Ciarán Ahern
Ceist:294. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will reform the passport application system for bereaved and widowed parents to introduce a one-time verification system for the renewal of children's passports given the distress caused by the present arrangement whereby the widowed parent must submit their deceased partner or co-parent's death certificate and a sworn affidavit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37685/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Barry Heneghan
Ceist:295. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether she is aware of concerns raised by widowed parents regarding the requirement to repeatedly submit death certificates, affidavits and related bereavement documentation when renewing passports for their children; whether consideration will be given to introducing a once off verification system whereby such documentation would only need to be provided once unless family circumstances change; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37692/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Claire Kerrane
Ceist:296. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will issue instructions to the passport office, when it comes to renewal passport applications for under 18s, to end the practice of the widow/bereaved partner/other parent having to re-submit death certificates and sworn affidavits during every passport renewal, and instead to have a one-off verification system in order that documents associated with a bereavement do not have to be re-submitted continually unless family circumstances change; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37702/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Ceist:298. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason widowed parents are required to repeatedly submit death certificates and sworn affidavits each time their child's passport is renewed; the justification for this practice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37806/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 269, 274, 275, 277, 278, 279, 281, 282, 283, 284, 291, 294, 295, 296 and 298 together.
I fully recognise the difficulties the current process may present for bereaved families and the Passport Service seeks to be as sympathetic and supportive as possible in assisting bereaved parents throughout the application process. To this end, the Passport Service has scheduled a meeting with Widows and Bereaved Parents Ireland to discuss their concerns.
In terms of the process in place, where a child's guardian is deceased, the Passport Service requests the original death certificate of the deceased guardian and a Sole Guardian Affidavit from the surviving guardian confirming that they are the only guardian of the child.
When one guardian is deceased, it may not always be the case that the surviving parent is the only guardian of the child. For example, a guardian can, in a will or deed, appoint someone else to be a testamentary guardian after he or she dies. In addition, step-parents or other family members may have acquired guardianship of a child following the death of a parent. In order to protect the rights of children and their guardians, the Passport Service needs to confirm each time that it has the consent of all relevant guardians before it can issue a passport.
EU Regulations
Ceisteanna (270, 271, 272)
Barry Ward
Ceist:270. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she supports the use of the European Union's blocking statute (Council Regulation (EC) No 2271/96) to protect EU operators from the extra-territorial application of third country laws; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37058/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraBarry Ward
Ceist:271. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade her views on whether the European Union should not recognise the extra-territorial application of laws adopted by third countries and that they are contrary to international law; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37060/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraBarry Ward
Ceist:272. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps she will take to ensure the use of the European Union's blocking statute (Council Regulation (EC) No 2271/96) to protect persons, particularly judges and prosecutors at the International Criminal Court, from sanctions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37062/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 270, 271 and 272 together.
The European Union's Blocking Statute (Council Regulation (EC) No 2271/96) is an important tool available to the EU to protect European economic operators from the extra-territorial application of third country laws. The Blocking Statute prohibits EU economic operators from complying with extra-territorial legislation listed in an annex to the Statute, unless they are authorised to do so by the Commission. It also allows EU economic operators to recover damages arising from such legislation from the persons or entities causing them, and nullifies the effect in the EU of any foreign court rulings based on it. The Blocking Statute initially applied to sanctions imposed by the United States, with extra-territorial effect, in relation to Cuba and, in 2018, was applied to US sanctions in relation to Iran following the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Ireland deeply regrets the imposition of US sanctions against elected officials of the International Criminal Court and those who engage with the Court, including a UN Special Rapporteur. Such measures threaten to corrode the international legal order on which all states – but particularly small states like Ireland – depend. Ireland calls for all coercive measures against the ICC and UN officials to be withdrawn and for the Court to be allowed to continue its important independent and impartial work.
Ireland has been actively engaged with fellow EU Member States and the European Commission on how to best respond to the imposition of US sanctions and to assist the ICC in fulfilling its mandate to end impunity. As part of this, Ireland has called on the Commission to commence preparatory work on amending the Blocking Statute so that it can be quickly activated at the most appropriate time, having regard in particular to when its activation will have the greatest impact in defending the Court and ensuring continuity of its activities.
While we continuously monitor developments, Ireland has also actively supported the ICC in building resilience and encouraged service providers to continue to engage with it.