Harris had planned to approve the Occupied Territories Bill moving to the next Oireachtas stage

Taoiseach Simon Harris will this week sign the stalled Occupied Territories Bill into law, which will move on to the scrutiny committee stage in the Oireachtas.

Independent Senator Frances Black introduced the bill in 2018 that would ban the importation into Ireland of goods and services originating from illegal settlements in areas considered occupied under international law.

The Irish government had previously argued that the bill would breach EU law.

However, ministers sought new legal advice on the position in the wake of a non-binding opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the summer declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal under international law.

After receiving the revised legal opinion from Attorney General Rossa Fanning, the government expressed its desire to support the bill, arguing that the International Court of Justice ruling had significantly changed the context.

However, ministers have said the bill will need significant changes to make it a legally sound piece of legislation that can withstand challenge in the courts.

They have acknowledged that it will not be passed before the general election, while the work needed to pass the bill will continue in the next Dail.

The government has said the bill should focus on the occupied Palestinian territories.

If a private member’s bill deals with issues relating to public expenditure, it will need the support of the government to enable it to proceed to the committee scrutiny stage in the Oireachtas.

That support comes in the form of a procedural device called a money notice.

Mr. Harris said he expected to sign that notice this week.

“I am pleased that there have been good meetings between the Government and the sponsor of the Occupied Territories Bill, Senator Frances Black, a good and constructive member of Seanad Eireann, and I hope that we can move forward with signing the money message. that is a money message that I need to sign to ensure the bill goes to committee stage,” the Taoiseach told reporters outside government buildings in Dublin.

“It is my hope that, depending on Senator Black’s arrangements with State Department officials, I will be able to sign that money message this week.”

Earlier, Tanaiste Michel Martin said he hoped an initial committee hearing on the bill could take place next week. He said it was important that the bill was amended to make it “more robust”.

“I met with Senator Frances Black and her advisor last week, they are meeting with my officials this week,” he said.

“We have identified approximately twelve areas where the bill needs to be amended. That’s pretty much an agreement. In some of these areas there was no opposition. The reason for this is to ensure that when we eventually pass it, and I think that will probably happen at the next Dail, it will be able to withstand legal challenges.”