President Catherine Connolly has signed the Government’s version of the Occupied Territories Bill into law, marking a step in Ireland’s approach to trade with Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. On Thursday, July 23, 2026, a statement from Áras an Uachtaráin confirmed the legislation had been enacted, reading, “Having considered the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2026, the President has signed the Bill, and it has accordingly become law.”
The new legislation bans the importation of goods from illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. However, it does not extend the prohibition to services, a decision that has continued to generate criticism.
The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign released a statement online, noting the legislation as “The government’s watered down Occupied Territories Bill” and vowed to continue “demanding and working for full sanctions on apartheid Israel until a free Palestine.”
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The legislation is based on the Government’s revised version of Independent Senator Frances Black’s original Occupied Territories Bill, first introduced in 2018. Black’s proposal sought to prohibit trade in both goods and services linked to Israel. That original Bill stalled under successive governments for eight years.
However, the previous coalition sought legal advice following an advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, which stated that Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem were in breach of international law. Following the 2024 general election, the new Government committed to progressing legislation banning trade in goods from occupied Palestinian territories.
Two Opposition amendments tabled in the Seanad in July 2026 seeking to extend the legislation to cover services were defeated during votes. A similar proposal had also failed previously at committee stage in the Dáil.
During the Seanad debate, Frances Black criticised the Government’s approach, accusing it of “consciously letting large companies providing tech, IT, and other services-based trade off the hook” and adding: “to me, that is a tragedy.”
The Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee had last year recommended that both goods and services should be included in the legislation. However, the Government maintained that legal advice indicated such a move would create too great a risk of legal challenge.
President Connolly had previously supported Black’s original legislation while serving as an Independent TD for Galway West, including its provisions covering both goods and services. During last year’s presidential election campaign, she was asked by Joe.ie, about the possibility that, as President, she might have to sign a revised version of the Bill that excluded services.
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Connolly replied that she was “fully aware of the restrictions on a President”.
“I have very strong opinions on the Occupied Territories Bill and I’ll never shy away from expressing those opinions as a TD,” Connolly said. “The Occupied Territories Bill should have been enacted a long time ago on goods and services, and Senator Black has done tremendous work.” However, she also noted that “legislation is for the Government and for the Dáil”.
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