We call on the Oireachtas to pass the Occupied Territories Bill.
If enacted, the OTB will prohibit the importation into Ireland of goods and services from settlements illegally established on occupied territories. This includes Israel’s ever-expanding settlements in the illegally occupied Palestinian territory.
26TH MAY 2026: GOVERNMENT APPROVES OCCUPIED TERRITORIES BILL - GOODS ONLY
THE ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS (PROHIBITION OF IMPORTATION OF GOODS) BILL 2026 HAS PASSED CABINET. SERVICES - 70% OF SETTLEMENT EXPORTS - ARE EXCLUDED.
goods is not good enough
The Campaign to Pass the Occupied Territories Bill - A coalition of over 40 organisations - trade unions, NGOs, and civil society groups - is united behind the campaign to amend the Bill to include services. Senator Frances Black, who first introduced the Occupied Territories Bill in 2018, has committed publicly to fighting for services amendments at every Oireachtas stage.
Latest updates
Senator Frances Black Responds to Cabinet Approval of Occupied Territories Bill
Senator Frances Black has welcomed the passage of the Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2026 through Cabinet, while condemning the exclusion of services as a "partial ban" that falls short of Ireland's obligations under international law. She has committed to fighting for services amendments at every Oireachtas stage.
Dáil Second Stage Debate: What Happens Next
The Bill is now moving through the Oireachtas at pace. Second Stage is expected on Wednesday 10th June, with Committee Stage amendments on Tuesday 17th June, and Report and Final Stages on Wednesday 24th June. The Seanad stages are expected to follow in early July ahead of the summer recess. The campaign is focused on securing services amendments at Committee Stage.
Karol Balfe, ActionAid Ireland: The human cost of illegal occupation is central to the Occupied Territories Bill
ActionAid Ireland CEO Karol Balfe makes the case in the Irish Examiner for why the exclusion of services from the Bill represents a critical failure - and what must be done to rescue it. Read more.
Oxfam Ireland: How Do We Rescue the Occupied Territories Bill From Being Watered Down?
Oxfam Ireland sets out clearly why goods alone is not enough, and has published a sample letter for members of the public to contact their TD directly ahead of the Committee Stage debate. Read more.
19th November: government passes Joint opposition Dáil Motion
the Joint Opposition Motion urging Government to immediately progress the bill, banning trade with both goods and services, is passed.
At 11am on Monday November 17th, Opposition Party Leaders Richard Boyd Barrett, Holly Cairns, Ivana Bacik, Mary Lou McDonald, and Roderic O’Gorman joined Senator Frances Black to jointly brief the media on the Plinth at Leinster House.
18th November 2025: Letter from the Campaign to pass the occupied territories bill published in the Irish Times
Over 30 organisations including Academics for Palestine, Amnesty International Ireland, Irish Congress of Trade Unions and Irish Council for Civil Liberties sign letter urging Government to honour the statements made during the General Election one year ago, and immediately enact the Occupied Territories Bill - banning trade with goods and services. Read and download the letter here.
Key reading
30+ organisations sign letter on behalf of the campaign urging government to immediately progress the Bill
The letter urges that the government to honour the promises made by both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael during the General Election campaign, and pass the Occupied Territories Bill. Read more.
Report on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Occupied Territories Bill
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence completed its pre-legislative scrutiny of the Government’s General Scheme of the Bill. The Committee unanimously recommended that the legislation should ban both goods and services from illegal settlements. Read more.
Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Letter to the Tánaiste
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission wrote to the Tánaiste urging the Government to introduce the Bill, confirming that it is legally possible under EU law. Read more.
400 Legal Academics and Lawyers Call on Government to Enact the Occupied Territories Bill
In a public statement covered by The Journal, more than 400 legal academics and practitioners called on the Government to enact the Occupied Territories Bill without delay. Read more.
Pre-Legislative Scrutiny Report Published
The Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade has scrutinised the Occupied Territories Bill. Explore the role of the campaign, view the debates and read the final report now.
Quick Links
newly published Legal Opinion
The Irish government has opposed the OTB based on advice of the Attorney General that only the EU can ban trade with illegal settlements. In a newly published legal opinion, two leading experts on EU law have stated that Ireland is fully entitled to pass the Occupied Territories Bill, criticising the Attorney General’s advice as "erroneous" and "at odds with settled EU case law"
The experts state that: "It is striking that the AG should have ignored the judgements in [two cases] where the European Court of Justice expressly held that Member States may deviate from EU law, including… on public policy grounds in order to protect fundamental rights... The analysis and conclusion in the AG Opinion that the Occupied Territories Bill is inconsistent with EU law [is] not only unconvincing but also at odds with settled ECJ case law.”
The ‘Pass the Occupied Territories Campaign’ is a collective campaign endorsed by civil society groups committed to the enactment of the OTB.
a collective campaign
Image Credit: Eva Crowley, Daryl Feehely.
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