THE TIMELINE AROUND the enactment of the Occupied Territories Bill continues to be uncertain with both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste refusing to set out a timeline today.

While the the Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee has assured the public that there are no plans to drop the legislation, no firm timeframe has been outlined by this government as to when it will be passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas. 

The Journal asked Tánaiste to outline the government’s position today, with Simon Harris stating that government leaders will meet with the foreign affairs minister and Attorney General to “consider how best to progress the legislation”. 

“We’ll comment on a timeline at that point,” he said, reiterating that the government remains committed to progressing the legislation. 

Bill remains government policy

Calling the proposed legislation “important”, he said the Bill remains government policy. 

A number of US states have legislation which punishes companies that comply with anti-Israel boycotts, including those that target illegal settlements.

McEntee recently told RTÉ’s Week In Politics: “The dogs on the street know that there are states across the US, a significant number of those, that have anti-boycott legislation. So that’s not a secret here, but that’s not our reason for where we are now.”

Asked about whether certain amendments will be made to the proposed legislation around the boycotting rules, Harris told the media today: 

“So being truthful, we need to work our way through all of this. I mean, we have a commitment to the programme for government. We intend to honour the commitment… We do need to make sure any legislation that’s brought forward is enforceable, is workable, is legal, would withstand challenge,” he said.

Asked today about the bill, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it is being progressed.

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He said Ireland has “always stood on the side of international law” and that this has informed the government’s approach to the war in Gaza, and that is why it is progressing the Occupied Territories Bill.

He said however that he has “always had my views” in terms of including services in the bill.”I think they would be problematic, both in terms of implementation, but also impact, because the objective of this is not to cause difficulty for Ireland.”

Harris has said he is open to services being included in the legislation, 

Senator Frances Black, who proposed the bill (which would ban imports from occupied territories) back in 2018, said last month that she has lost patience with Harris regarding the legislation. 

A number of opposition parties have called for the legislation to be passed before Christmas.