Govt set to remove blockage to Occupied Territories Bill

The technical blockage to the Occupied Territories Bill - intended to stop trade with Palestinian land occupied by Israeli settlers - is set to be formally removed.

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has requested that the so-called "money message" be prepared, and signed as early as tomorrow.

A money message is a necessary step for any piece of non-Government legislation.

Its requirement has been used by governments to stall bills that have negative financial consequences - including the Occupied Territories Bill.

Once the money message is signed it paves the way for the bill to proceed to committee stage of the Oireachtas.

It will now be possible to proceed to that stage - where amendments can be tabled - in the lifetime of this Dáil.

It remains unlikely to be passed before a general election is called, but it will now be possible for the incoming Dáil to deal with it early in the lifetime of the next government.