Clare questions Minister Richard Bruton on the amount of licences granted for the export of military goods, clearly no qualms about the inconvenient fact that we’re supposed to be neutral…
To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of licence refusals to exporters producing parts for military goods abroad from 20111 to date in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. – Clare Daly.
For ORAL answer on Wednesday, 4th November, 2015
Ref No: 37152/15
R E P L Y
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Mr Bruton)
My Department is responsible for controls on the export of military items from Ireland. Under Irish law, military export licences must be sought in respect of the goods and technology, and any components thereof, listed in the Annex to the Control of Exports (Goods and Technology) Order, SI.216 of 2012 which reflects the EU Common Military List.
The EU Common Military List includes military goods and technology, and components for such items that should be licenced for export from the Union. Items which are classified as “military goods” from an export control perspective and which are exported from Ireland involve components rather than military equipment, along with sports firearms and mining equipment.
My Department is also responsible for licensing those dual-use items controlled pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No. 428/2009 setting up a Community regime for the control of exports, transfer, brokering and transit of dual-use items. While the term “dual-use” refers to those items that are normally used for civilian or commercial purposes but may also have a military application, the vast majority of dual-use licences issued by my Department are for commercial purposes.
All applications for export licenses are rigorously assessed having regard to the end-use and the end-user and against well-established criteria. The export licensing process centres on ensuring, as far as possible, that the item to be exported will be used by the stated end-user for the stated end-use, and will not be used for an illicit purpose, e.g. for use in connection with WMD. The safeguards built into the licensing system facilitate robust checks and cross checks in this regard.
The Department may refuse an export licence, following consultation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and other EU and international export licensing authorities as appropriate.
Export Licence Applications Denied
Year Number of Export Licence Applications Denied
2011 4
2012 1
2013 4
2014 8
2015 to date 5
Two of these refusals, one made in 2011 and one made in 2104, were made in respect of export licence applications for military list items. The remainder were made in respect of proposed exports of dual-use items.
To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the consideration he has given to the impact on neutrality of the almost 800 licenses granted to exporters producing components for military goods in 2014; if his Department has discussed this matter with the Department of Foreign Affairs.; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
– Clare Daly.
For ORAL answer on Wednesday, 4th November, 2015
Ref No: 37153/15
R E P L Y
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Mr Bruton)
793 export licences were issued by my Department for the export of dual-use and military items during 2014.
95 of these were issued for the export of military items. My Department is responsible for controls on the export of these military items from Ireland. Under Irish law, military export licences must be sought in respect of the goods and technology, and any components thereof, listed in the Annex to the Control of Exports (Goods and Technology) Order, SI.216 of 2012 which reflects the EU Common Military List.
The EU Common Military List includes military goods and technology, and components for such items that should be licenced for export. Items which are classified as “military goods” from an export control perspective and which are exported from Ireland involve components rather than finished military equipment. A significant number of the 95 military licences issued during 2014 were issued to individuals holding sports firearms and to companies engaged in mining activity.
My Department issued 680 Individual Dual-Use licences during 2014, with 18 Global Dual-Use licences in use by exporters during that period. While the term “dual-use” refers to those items that are normally used for civilian or commercial purposes but may also have a military application, the vast majority of dual-use licences issued by my Department are for commercial purposes. Dual-use items are controlled pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No. 428/2009 setting up a Community regime for the control of exports, transfer, brokering and transit of dual-use items.
My officials are in daily contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on export control and export licensing issues. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is consulted on all military licence applications and the vast majority of dual-use licence applications.
In addition to the day-to-day contacts necessitated by consultation with the Disarmament and Non- Proliferation Section of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in relation to individual export licence applications, more formal liaison meetings take place on a regular basis to share information and to review strategic issues affecting export control.
Ireland is a member of several bodies which work to ensure the non-proliferation of goods and technologies which could contribute to the development of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. These non-proliferation groups include the Wassenaar Arrangement, the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Missile Technology Control Group.