THE EUROPEAN UNION’S foreign affairs chief will discuss potential sanctions on Aughinish Alumina when she visits Ireland tomorrow. 

Kaja Kallas was speaking to reporters in Cyprus this morning and the issue of the Russian owned factory sending refined alumina to Russia was raised.  

Aughinish Alumina in Foynes, Co Limerick is owned by Rusal which is in turn owned by Putin ally Oleg Deripaska – it has been claimed that the Irish product has been used to manufacture arms used in Ukraine by the Russian military. 

Aughinish Alumina is Europe’s largest refinery and employs approximately 500 people directly with about 1,000 other related jobs. Behind closed doors the government has been slow to make a move on the company citing the lack of EU sanctions and the danger to the local economy. 

Kallas said that the European Union is considering new sanctions at present but would have to liaise with member states to determine the impact of any measures.

“Of course every time when you media do a good job to actually flag these issues, we are also raising these issues when we are talking about next sanctions that we can do, because our aim is to really deprive Russia of the funding that they get from various resources.

“So, clearly, we can discuss whether what kind of impact it has, and whether Member States are willing to put this forward and agree also on this to again put more pressure on Russia. But, definitely I think it will also be a topic that we will discuss tomorrow,” she said. 

The Taoiseach Mícheál Martin and MEP Billy Kelleher speaking about Aughinish Alumina in Cork today. Full reportly shortly on @thejournal_ie @TJ_Politics pic.twitter.com/APPjCltWiP

— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) June 8, 2026

In Cork today Taoiseach Micheál Martin told The Journal that European Union sanctions were for the bloc to decide. He said the government are waiting for an investigation to conclude into the factory.

“European sanctions are European competence and competence, and the Commission engages with member states. 

“We have concerns clearly, but we will, as soon as we have completed our work through the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment, we’ll engage with the [EU] Commission and with our colleagues in respect of this.

“At the outset, it was from my perspective, my understanding, this is a wider European supply chain issue, and not just specific to Aughinish or to Ireland. It was not on the sanctions list from the beginning of this war,” he said. 

Billy Kelleher, a Fianna Fáíl MEP has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine and has travelled to the war. He said that Aughinish Alumina was looked at previously. 

“The first principle of sanctions is to do more harm to the enemy than to yourself, and there is an investigation carried out by the department when they report, then decisions can be made.

“We have to be very clear and fair to the Irish government, primarily sanctions are proposed by the Commission, and we await their determination on any sanction package proposal,” he said.