Pre-Legislative Scrutiny
Pre-Legislative Scrutiny
A landmark step for the Occupied Territories Bill
The campaign to Pass the Occupied Territories Bill (OTB) has reached a decisive milestone. In July, 2025, the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee engaged with 18 representatives of key stakeholders at pre-legislative scrutiny meetings in public session. Following these extensive hearings, the Pre-Legislative Scrutiny (PLS) Report has now been published.
This marks a critical stage in the legislative journey. The Committee’s work confirms that the Bill is robust, legally sound, and ready to proceed. For our campaign, it reflects years of sustained advocacy - from grassroots mobilisation to parliamentary debate - and brings Ireland closer to becoming the one of the first EU states to legislate against trade with illegal Israeli settlements.
What is pre-legislative scrutiny?
The Occupied Territories Bill (OTB) was first introduced in 2018 by Senator Frances Black. Since then, it has secured majority support in both the Seanad and the Dáil and has been the subject of extensive parliamentary debate.
The Pre-Legislative Scrutiny (PLS) process was convened to examine the Bill against Ireland’s legal obligations, foreign policy priorities, and legislative standards. With the Committee’s Report now published, the OTB is poised to move forward to the next stage: formal debate and amendment, before returning to the Oireachtas floor for passage into law.
If enacted, the Bill will make it illegal to import or sell goods and services produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory - a measure consistent with international human rights law and with Ireland’s duty not to recognise or assist grave breaches of international law. This approach reflects the findings of the International Court of Justice’s 2024 Advisory Opinion, which confirmed the illegality of Israeli settlement activity and the obligations of states to take effective measures in response.
The breadth of evidence submitted to the committee - from international law to grassroots testimony - demonstrated that Ireland not only can, but must, take action.
Campaign Voices contribute
During the hearings, members of the campaign provided powerful oral and written submissions that shaped the Committee’s findings. Click on the image below to read the opening statement of each contributor.
committee hearings
Below are the videos and transcripts of each meeting of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade during the Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill, previously known as the Occupied Territories Bill.
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Senator Frances Black, Seanad Éireann
Conor O’Neill, Christian Aid
Gerry Liston, Senior Lawyer, GLAN/Sadaka
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Professor Takis Tridimas, Matrix Chambers
Professor Panos Koutrakos, Monckton Chambers
Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC, Matrix Chambers
Professor Graham Butler, Full Professor of Law at Linnaeus University
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Jewish Representative Council of Ireland
Maurice Cohen, Chair
Yoni Wieder, Chief Rabbi Ireland Israel Alliance
Alan Shatter, Board Member of the Israel Council on Foreign Relations
Natasha Hausdorff, Barrister
Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Fatin Al Tamimi, Vice Chairperson
Dr. John Reynolds
Sadaka – Ireland Palestine Alliance
Eamonn Meehan, Chair
Marie Crawley, Board Member
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The Debates
Committee Membership
Public submissions
As part of its Pre-Legislative Scrutiny, the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade invited written submissions from the public. The response was extraordinary. In just one week, over 770 submissions were received:
Over 700 came from individual members of the public, reflecting the depth of concern and solidarity across Ireland.
Around 50 came from institutions, representative groups, NGOs, and grassroots organisations nationwide.
The submissions overwhelmingly endorsed the Bill, with the vast majority urging that its scope include not only goods but also services from illegal Israeli settlements — restoring the stronger standard contained in the original Occupied Territories Bill. Fewer than 10 submissions opposed the measure.
The Committee also received several detailed legal opinions. The vast majority strongly supported the inclusion of services within the Bill’s scope, grounding their analysis in international humanitarian law and the recent International Court of Justice advisory opinion (2024), which reaffirmed the illegality of settlement activity. While the Committee is not able to publish all submissions in full, each was carefully reviewed and taken into account in the preparation of its report.
Next steps
Next steps
The publication of the Report is not the end — it is a call to intensify pressure. Political leaders must now prioritise the Bill’s passage to ensure Ireland enacts this landmark legislation in the coming months.
You can help keep the OTB on the political agenda: