THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES Bill will be replaced by a new piece of legislation, Tánaiste Micheál Martin has confirmed.

Speaking at a special Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis in Dublin, where party members are being asked to ratify the new programme for government, Martin said that “virtually every section” of the existing piece of legislation will need to be amended.

He told reporters today that the incoming government will move to draft a new piece of legislation.

When asked about reports in the Mail on Sunday that the bill was going to be shelved to appease Donald Trump, Martin said:

“I’m not responsible for that report. What I can say is that I instructed my officials prior to the general election to work on amendments to the-then Occupied Territories Bill. All that work has been done and in fact, every single line – well, not every single line – but virtually every section of that Bill will have to be amended.

“So the issue is whether we have a new Bill, which I think we probably will move towards, a new Bill in respect of imports into Ireland from the occupied territories because I think it needs a full debate in the Dáil at second stage.”

‘Watered down’ version?

When asked if the new bill will be a “watered down” version, he replied: 

“When you say watered down, I mean, no. In terms of the legislation it is acknowledged by all sides that the Bill was unconstitutional as drafted and in other areas was deficient.”

The comments made by the Tánaiste come amidst the beginning of a long-awaited ceasefire between Israel and Hamas finally coming into effect today.

Speaking at the Ard Fheis today, the Tánaiste welcomed the ceasefire, stating that the collective punishment of the Palestinian people could never be acceptable. 

Micheal Martin tells members that the collective punishment of the Palestinian people could never be justified, crowd applauds when he adds Hamas has brought misery to the people they claim to serve.

Tanaiste has confirmed the Occupied Territories bill will be replaced. pic.twitter.com/cnkTutjJmD

— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) January 19, 2025

Prior to the special Ard Fheis kicking off, protesters gathered outside the venue, calling on the incoming government to enact the Occupied Territories bill. 

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators chant: ‘Fianna Fáil you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide’ outside the party’s special Ard Fheis in Dublin today where members will vote on the new programme for government pic.twitter.com/C46zKz0LRa

— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) January 19, 2025

The Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories Bill) was first introduced by Independent Senator Francis Black in 2018.

It would, according to the text of the proposed legislation, make it an offence “for a person to import or sell goods or services originating in an occupied territory or to extract resources from an occupied territory in certain circumstances”.

The incoming government has been urged not to dilute the Occupied Territories Bill as senior figures in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael raise concerns about the impact the draft law will have on Ireland’s international standing.

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In recent days, senior government and diplomatic figures have warned of possible trade retaliation from Israel and from the Trump administration in the US.

One senior government minister told The Journal this week that they believe the finalised law will be a “very vastly different Bill” than what was first tabled by Senator Frances Black in 2018.

As it is drafted, Senator Frances Black’s Occupied Territories Bill would prevent the import of both goods and services from occupied territories. 

However, the commitment in the draft programme for government only refers to goods.

It states: “Progress legislation prohibiting goods from Occupied Palestinian Territories following the July 2024 International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion.”

When asked if this is a confirmation that the import of services from Israeli-occupied areas would be exempt under any future bill, a government source said the new government will “examine and progress legislation, based on legal advice”. 

With reporting by Jane Matthews