Ireland sold €6.4 million worth of military equipment to Israel in last 3 years.

donegal__road

Mod: Thread moved from After Hours. Please note the change in forum charter.

State approved €6.4m in Israel arms exports

Export licences for €6.4m worth of military goods for Israel have been approved by the Government in the past three years, the Irish Examiner can reveal.

The figures have led to demands from opposition parties for ministers to “come clean” on exactly what type of goods are being allowed to be exported to Israel.

Enterprise Department documents show the vast majority under the “military export” category, €6.18m, were approved in 2011.

The Government refuses to give details of what type of equipment was involved, referring to the broad headings of “ground vehicles, components” and “technology”.

I supposed this explains why our government abstained from the UN Human Rights Council resolution setting up a commission of inquiry into Gaza.


sure as long as it means that we get to hang on to our tech jobs, what odds... right?

House of Blaze

On the plus side, exports are up.

Jawgap

Israel spends about €14 billion each year on its defence budget,

Irish exports of 'military' goods was about €2.1 million per year or 0.015% of the Israeli defence budget!!

I doubt this has anything to do with the abstaining on the vote to establish an inquiry.

The Peanut

I think I read somewhere that Ireland has donated over €30 million to Palestine in aid in the last ten years.

The OP's statement mightn't be the most moral piece of business but that's all it is; business.

kneemos

Could be glove boxes and speedos.

Cookie_Monster

That'll be tank parts won't it? Timoney Technology design suspension systems for armoured vehicles as far as I can remember. One of the engineer lecturers in UCD is involved with the company.

Beano

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

That'll be tank parts won't it? Timoney Technology design suspension systems for armoured vehicles as far as I can remember. One of the engineer lecturers in UCD is involved with the company.

as they mentioned

“ground vehicles, components” and “technology”

this is more than likely who it was.

Would you have been as upset OP if they had been exported to Hamas?

comongethappy

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

That'll be tank parts won't it? Timoney Technology design suspension systems for armoured vehicles.

Die-in at Timony Tech this weekend!
Someone tweet Gordon Darcy's beard asap!

Mr Freeze

Neutral when it suits us.

bear1

Trump has spent more doing up Doonbeg golf course than what the Government has sold.
Military wise it is absolutely nothing.

Mr.McLovin

Did they buy weapons off us for their museums?

srsly78

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

That'll be tank parts won't it? Timoney Technology design suspension systems for armoured vehicles as far as I can remember. One of the engineer lecturers in UCD is involved with the company.

Specifically suspension systems for heavy vehicles. This is dual-use stuff, would be used on fire engines as well as armored vehicles.

Beano

Mr.McLovin wrote: »

Did they buy weapons off us for their museums?

they didnt buy weapons. they bought parts for vehicles. parts which are amongst some of the best in the world.

Santa Cruz

If it helps to control Hamas terrorists I'm for it

+Sit back, open popcorn and wait for the fun to start!

nelly17

Beano wrote: »

they didnt buy weapons. they bought parts for vehicles. parts which are amongst some of the best in the world.

For bulldozing houses

Beano

nelly17 wrote: »

For bulldozing houses

unlikely. Timoney dont make bulldozer parts.

srsly78

Yes they do, the suspension!

humanji

Thread moved to the main Politics forum. Please note the change in forum charter.

Its Only Ray Parlour

Is there anything we can export to help Hamas blow up tanks so we can make even more profit off the conflict?

comongethappy

Its Only Ray Parlour wrote: »

Is there anything we can export to help Hamas blow up tanks so we can make even more profit off the conflict?

Yes, but they would just pack it into a rocket and fire it aimlessly off into nowhere!

bmc58

Jawgap wrote: »

Israel spends about €14 billion each year on its defence budget,

Irish exports of 'military' goods was about €2.1 million per year or 0.015% of the Israeli defence budget!!

I doubt this has anything to do with the abstaining on the vote to establish an inquiry.

It might only be 6.4ml now,but what will it be in 10 or 20 years time?
Government keeping its head down and not rocking the boat,I think.

Larbre34

bmc58 wrote: »

It might only be 6.4ml now,but what will it be in 10 or 20 years time?
Government keeping its head down and not rocking the boat,I think.

There really is nothing to see here. If you went back 10 or 20 years you'd probably find the exports to Israel were still negligible, there just isnt a big Irish Defence industry to grow a huge export volume.

The Government arent avoiding this, they're probably just not concerned at all. The small pro-palestinian lobby in Ireland conveniently omit the terrorist threat from that side and the Government well know that if there was a threat to jobs brought about by banning military component exports to any particular place then they would be in far worse hassle politically than from a few tea towel wearing flag wavers.

Nodin

Larbre34 wrote: »

There really is nothing to see here. If you went back 10 or 20 years you'd probably find the exports to Israel were still negligible, there just isnt a big Irish Defence industry to grow a huge export volume.

The Government arent avoiding this, they're probably just not concerned at all. The small pro-palestinian lobby in Ireland conveniently omit the terrorist threat from that side and the Government well know that if there was a threat to jobs brought about by banning military component exports to any particular place then they would be in far worse hassle politically than from a few tea towel wearing flag wavers.

Classy.

AlekSmart

Larbre34 wrote: »

There really is nothing to see here. If you went back 10 or 20 years you'd probably find the exports to Israel were still negligible, there just isnt a big Irish Defence industry to grow a huge export volume.

The Government arent avoiding this, they're probably just not concerned at all. The small pro-palestinian lobby in Ireland conveniently omit the terrorist threat from that side and the Government well know that if there was a threat to jobs brought about by banning military component exports to any particular place then they would be in far worse hassle politically than from a few tea towel wearing flag wavers.

Sadly,Ireland COULD have a very successful Defence Industry.

The Timoney brothers and their companies are right up there at the top when it comes to Research and Development of many systems associated with Heavy Vehicle Technology and in particular Emergency Response Vehicles (Civillian/Military).

http://www.timoneygroup.com/Index.aspx

They also pioneered European development on the use of ceramics in engine construction,which could eventually lead to engines requiring little or no external cooling systems at all.

Some might suggest that this type of Heavy Industry is exactly what Ireland needs in order to generate inward revenue streams.

However,many years ago the Irish Government shied away from allowing Timoney's to expand their Co Meath operation to supply Armored Personnel Carriers on the basis that,as a "Neutral" country,Ireland could not be seen to have a "Military" aspect to its economy.

As a result,Timoney,were required to enter into various licencing agreements to have their Irish designed and developed technologies actually produced elsewhere,something all to obvious from our large-scale purchasing of Mowag Military Vehicles from.......Switzerland :eek:

http://www.gdels.com/brochures/wheeled_piranha8.pdf

comongethappy

AlekSmart wrote: »

Ireland could not be seen to have a "Military" aspect to its economy

Luckily for neutral country Sweden, they don't have such psychological hangups & so have one of the worlds best & most advanced defence industries.

Our loss.

hatrickpatrick

Wow, that is ridiculously depressing. We should look into an arms embargo to Israel as the UK recently hinted they would consider.

wes

If we are going to sell military hardware to Israel, whose military murder civilians, then we should be willing to sell to anyone one else who does the same, like Bashir Al Assad for example, or any other despot for that matter.

That or we should shouldn't sell to any military who we know deliberately murder civilians.

I just think that we should be consistent and not take sides, if we are going to be selling military hardware.

jmayo

Mr Freeze wrote: »

Neutral when it suits us.

Would you mind telling us what country is really neutral ?

BTW don't bother quoting Sweden or Switzerland since both of these have quiet big defense industry multinationals.

nelly17 wrote: »

For bulldozing houses

Ehh the IDF use Caterpillar dozers, nicknamed the Doobi or Teddybear (isn't that sweet) so maybe we shouldn't do business with Caterpillar.
Hell next time you see one on a low loader stage a protest against the company.

Its Only Ray Parlour wrote: »

Is there anything we can export to help Hamas blow up tanks so we can make even more profit off the conflict?

Possibly some knowhow from some birdwatchers ?

srsly78

comongethappy wrote: »

Luckily for neutral country Sweden, they don't have such psychological hangups & so have one of the worlds best & most advanced defence industries.

Our loss.

Sweden deliberately built up it's defense industry to support neutrality. Hard to stay neutral if you have to buy all your kit from america.

Berserker

AlekSmart wrote: »

Sadly,Ireland COULD have a very successful Defence Industry.

I have always wondering about this. As you correctly said, we have the seeds of a very successful industry in place already and our "neutral" status places us perfectly in terms of world politics but I cannot ever recall hearing or seeing anyone in the political arena promoting defence as an industry. Sure, it would cause a kerfuffle with a minority of left-wing idealists; what doesn't these days but the employment and income generated would be a win-win with most sensible citizens.

hatrickpatrick

jmayo wrote: »

Would you mind telling us what country is really neutral ?

Would you mind telling us how that is in any way relevant? We're talking about Ireland.

jmayo

srsly78 wrote: »

Sweden deliberately built up it's defense industry to support neutrality. Hard to stay neutral if you have to buy all your kit from america.

Sweden always had their own defense industry as they once had an empire of sorts.
The likes of Bofors, Husqvarna, Carl Gustaf have been around for centuries.

Neutrality you know existed before the Americans became one of the worlds super powers ?

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Would you mind telling us how that is in any way relevant? We're talking about Ireland.

There are really no neutral countries when push comes to shove.

See WWII as example where the likes of Switzerland, Sweden who would be marketed as two of the most prominent neutral countries played ball with the Germans.
Now a lot of people will argue they did it to remain free from invasion, but their acquiescence no doubt helped prolong the German war machine and the war.