Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said the Occupied Territories Bill will not be ready until the summer session of the Dáil at the earliest, because of drafting requirements.
. “It won’t be in this spring session because most of the Bills being put on the order paper are ones that are drafted and ready to progress and ready to go.”
He said Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris is progressing the legislation, “looking at amendments which have to happen, being very careful from the outset in the form of the new Bill”.
The Opposition has criticised the Government over delays in producing the amended legislation.
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Independent Dublin Bay North TD Barry Heneghan asked when the legislation would be ready “with the necessary legal changes”.
He said the Bill “needs to preserve the original intention”.
The controversial legislation aims to ban trade in goods produced by Israel in occupied Palestinian territory.
Mr Martin told Mr Heneghan “it’s a short session between now and Easter. Hopefully in the aftermath of that”.
Mr Martin is also to participate in a video-call with EU leaders on Ukraine, convened by French president Emmanuel Macron.
He said he would be pushing strongly for the EU to accelerate the membership process and the application from Ukraine to become a member of the EU.
Apart from the economic, social and wider aspects, “there would be a significant security benefit to Ukraine just by virtue of being a member of the EU”, he said.
He was responding to Labour leader Ivana Bacik, who highlighted the upcoming third anniversary on Monday, February 24th, of “Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine”.
She expressed the Labour Party’s solidarity with the people of Ukraine “who have endured such devastation” and “defended their country so courageously against Russia’s imperial aggression”.
Mr Martin said he would use the opportunity to reiterate Ireland’s solidarity and promote Ukraine’s application for membership.
He welcomed remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating that there needs to be a sustainable, durable peace and that the EU and Ukraine have to play a part in such a deal.
