It was important to “get the facts straight” in relation to Aughinish Alumina and the European Commission trusted “the Irish Government to do these investigations”, the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said.
Kallas had been asked whether the European Commission would launch its own investigation in the wake of reports linking alumina from the Co Limerick plant to the weapons supply chain in Russia.
The Commission vice-president and Europe’s high representative for foreign affairs was in Dublin for talks in advance of Ireland’s upcoming European Union presidency, which begins next month.
She met Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Helen McEntee.
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In March, an investigation by The Irish Times, carried out in co-operation with the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, found that the Aughinish plant was shipping vast amounts of alumina to smelters in Russia where it is used to make aluminium which is then sold to a trading company, ASK, that supplies dozens of Russian arms manufacturers.
The company has insisted it complies with “all applicable European Union laws, including sanctions, export control measures and trade regulations”.
An investigation under way at the Department of Enterprise is expected to be completed this month.
Trade in alumina is not included in the EU’s sanctions against Russia, including the 21st package of measures proposed by the European Commission on Wednesday.
Given the revelations, Kallas was asked why alumina was included in the latest round of planned EU sanctions.
“We have a huge list of companies included, also crypto that we haven’t had in that amount before, [and] oil refineries,” she said.
“It is always a question, what more can we do?”
She said there was a need to be creative with further sanctions and that the war in Ukraine would end if Russia ran out of money or materials. All member states would have to agree to include alumina in sanctions, she said.
Earlier, McEntee, who discussed sanctions with Kallas, stressed the need for continued support for Ukraine.
“We of course discussed the issue of Aughinish Alumina ... once the investigation that is under way concludes, that information will be provided to the Commission,” the Minister said.
“We will ensure that any decisions that need to be taken to put pressure on Russia, that they will have the full support of Ireland.”
Kallas said the EU would continue to target Russian revenues to force Moscow to end the war.
Kallas said she and McEntee had discussed reports that sanctioned Russian defence companies may be benefiting from significant volumes of Irish alumina imports and the status of related inquiries.
“Alumina is not currently covered by the EU sanctions. Europe must close all loopholes, tighten sanctions enforcement, and ensure our commitments are backed by our deeds.”
Kallas also said Ireland’s priorities for its EU presidency “reflect exactly what Europe needs” includingstrengthening security and boosting competitiveness.
“Europe must remain a principled global actor. But principles alone are not enough. Europe must also have the hard power to defend them. That means investing in our security,” she said.
“Ireland’s proud tradition of military neutrality is not in question but neutrality does not provide immunity from the threats Europe faces today.
“No country in Europe is off Russia’s target list.”
She said that since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there had been “a surge” in the hybrid attacks and sabotage, including against critical infrastructure, such as undersea water cables.
Noting Ireland had launched its first maritime security strategy and has committed to increasing defence spending by 55 per cent by 2030, she said this “sends a clear signal that Ireland is stepping up”.
Earlier, ahead of his meeting with Kallas, the Taoiseach said the Department of Enterprise’s work on the Aughinish Alumina investigation was not finished but “we will obviously discuss that and other matters because obviously sanctions are an EU competence and that’s the context in which we’ll discuss it”.
Separately, he said it was “quite clear that quite a number of people in the US will not be at one mind with us in respect of the Occupied Territories Bill” which is to be debated in the Dáil on Wednesday.
“But we’ll communicate the rationale behind it, that it is confined to the Occupied Territories, but also it’s largely, let’s be honest, a symbolic act because the amount of trade between the Occupied Territories in goods and Ireland is very, very, very low,” he said.
He added: “This is more a symbolic act and I think what would be perhaps more telling is if we could, at European Union level, push for a suspension of the trade association agreement between Israel and the European Union.
“That perhaps will have a greater impact internationally on Israel.”
Last year, a group of 16 members of the US House of Representatives wrote to treasury secretary Scott Bessent requesting he consider adding Ireland to a list of countries boycotting Israel in the event of the proposed legislation is passed.
