TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS says he won’t prejudge the findings of a report into Aughinish Alumina which is due to be completed next week. 

The Limerick-based plant is Europe’s largest supplier of alumina and has a Russian parent company.

An investigation by The Irish Times and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), published in March, reported that material from it is sent to Russian smelters, where it is converted into aluminium used to supply manufacturers of the missiles, tanks and aircraft in the war against Ukraine.

The Department of Enterprise is now conducting an investigation into the refinery, with the minister with responsibility for the department, Peter Burke, stating that he has yet to see the report. 

Asked about reports in The Irish Times today that the investigation is expected to say it cannot rule out the possibility that Irish-produced alumina is ending up in the Russian military supply chain, but that it is also unlikely to conclude that material from the plant is being used in the country’s arms industry, Simon Harris said he won’t prejudge the report’s findings. 

Once the findings are complete, Harris said the Irish government would coordinate with the European Commission and other member states. 

“What we need to do here is follow the evidence. We need to follow the facts. And I’ve been consistently clear and have used the phrase: ‘This country will never cherry-pick when it comes to sanctions’. We support sanctions packages that come from the commission…

“I do think it’s important to await the conclusion of that investigation. They’re analysing data. They’ve been in contact with the plant. They’re trying to establish the veracity of information that’s in the media about the supply chain for alumina from the company,” Harris told the Dáil.

When an investigation is completed, the Irish government will discuss the results and move in “lockstep” with the European Commission, said Harris.

“Should we arrive at a position where the European Commission makes a recommendation in relation to sanctions, we will want to and need to have conversations about two things: about workers, absolutely, and also about crucial supply chains of alumina to the European Union, which is of importance too,” added the Tánaiste. 

Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan said the facts are staring the government in the face, telling the Dáil that Ireland is one of the very few European countries where our exports to Russia have increased since Russia invaded Ukraine.

“That’s been driven by the exports of alumina that have more than doubled,” he told Harris, accusing him of not dealing with this issue over the last four years. 

Responding, Harris said at a national level there is a need to support workers, but he added that a significant amount of alumina from the plant is being supplied to the European market.

“So there’s a complexity to all of this. This is not as straightforward. We can’t just read a newspaper headline and say let’s go and slap a sanction on. That’s not how European Union membership works,” Harris said. 

The Tánaiste said he expected the report to conclude shortly.