The Communist Party of Ireland condemns the decision by the Government parties to defeat the Sinn Féin bill which would have prevented the Irish Central Bank from facilitating the sale of Israeli bonds that fund genocide in Palestine. As we pointed out last May, the recognition of the state of Palestine by the Irish government, though welcome, would remain an empty gesture if it was not backed up by action. Since then, the Irish government has taken no action in support of Palestine, rather it has continued “business as usual” with Israel.
According to Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe, the government opposed the bill because the Dail i.e. the Irish Legislative Assembly, did not have the authority to instruct the Irish Central Bank, a state institution which owes its existence to an act of the Dail, to stop raising funds for genocide, because of our EU membership.
According to Article 5 of the Irish Constitution “Ireland is a sovereign, independent, democratic state”, while article 6 claims that “All powers of government, legislative, executive and judicial, derive…, from the people.” Sovereignty means the complete independence of a state in deciding all questions relating to its internal life and foreign relations. However, according to the Irish government the Dail lacks the authority to decide on questions relating to the Central Bank which is based in and was created by the State. The Communist Party of Ireland has long warned that membership of the EU is a constant threat to Irish democracy, neutrality and independence, both political and economic. The events in the Dail on May 28th 2025 have vindicated our position. We call on all democratic forces in Ireland to oppose this decision by the government and to demand that the Dail reassert the sovereignty of the state against encroachment by any external power
