Industrial Development (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2026: Report Stage
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-30
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Rose Conway-Walsh (SF), Mayo

Our neutrality matters. I support amendments Nos. 1 to 5. We need to be conscious of the ramifications for our neutrality of what the Government is trying to push through. Currently, any engagement by Enterprise Ireland or the IDA with companies which engage in activities of military relevance must be done with the prior approval of the Government. This is not an argument that defence companies should be prohibited in Ireland, nor is it an argument for investing in our Defence Forces; it is an argument about public money and State assets. Therefore, ministerial oversight is critical.
I was not convinced by the Committee Stage debate that necessary safeguards were in place, and I do not think anybody across all parties in the committee was convinced. Why should the State finance or facilitate supports through its enterprise agencies for activity of this nature? There is already billions in funding available from the EU, for example, so why are we subsidising them? God knows there are many things in this country that need to be subsidised and supported. We talk to businesses every day of the week about competitiveness and about how they are struggling. Why then are we suggesting we open the doors to give the support that could be given to them to this when it threatens our neutrality?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-30/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-10-05T01:00:59+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-30