Cian O'Callaghan: Demands Ban on Alumina Exports to Russia

Minister, yesterday the Taoiseach laid out Ireland's priorities for the EU presidency. He said, and I quote, active support for Ukraine will be a defining priority for the Irish presidency. Minister, on Tuesday night, missiles rained down on the Carquhieve region, bringing destruction, injury and death to the civilian population. One of those who lost their life was a 22-year-old pregnant woman. A one-year-old child was amongst those that were seriously injured. This is the brutality caused by drones and missiles that land on Ukrainian homes on a daily basis. Minister, an investigation carried out by the Irish Times and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project found that vast amounts of alumina are being shipped from Ireland to Russia. Upon arrival, it has been sold to a company that supplies dozens of Russian arms manufacturers. This flies in the face of Irish people's support for Ukraine. Minister, alumina exports to Russia have increased from €196m in 2021 to €318m last year. According to a report by Swedish tax investigators, Russian oligarch Oleg Deripraska retains a controlling share of the company that has majority ownership of Organish alumina. Deripraska is a close ally and supporter of Putin. He has contributed substantially to Putin's brutal invasion of Ukraine. Minister, this government's head-in-the-sand approach is in sharp contrast to decisive action that was taken by Australia. They banned the export of alumina to Russia as soon as it invaded Ukraine. At the time, Australia supplied 20% of alumina to Russia, but they still acted with urgency. They did this because, as then Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, and I quote, alumina played a critical role in Russia's war machine. Minister, the Australians didn't want to play any part whatsoever in feeding Putin's murderous war. Instead, they said they would work with companies and exporters impacted by the ban to find new markets and expand existing ones. After Australia cut off its supply, the Russians had to look elsewhere to find replacements, including Organish alumina, where exports to Russia have soared. Minister, you claim you have no idea about the end-use of the alumina exported from Ireland, but it is clear from independent investigations that it's been used by Russian arm manufacturers. These arms are then being used to kill Ukrainian men, women and children. Minister, will the government stop the export of alumina to Russia? When will your department's investigation be completed? Will it be published? And have you asked the Ukrainian government for samples from drones and missiles to forensically analyse against samples from Organish? Thank you, and I thank Deputy O'Callaghan for his very important question, and I absolutely share the concern that you have raised, and that's why we have set about conducting an investigation into the Department of Enterprise to ascertain the evidence impartially, working with the European Commission, working with the Swedish authorities which came forward with additional evidence over the last 10 days, and also working with Organish alumina trying to ascertain the truth. And we will get to the bottom of this in terms of the supply chain, and we will need assurances that it is a concealed supply chain. I will put on record that Ireland has supported every single sanctioned package in European context towards Russia, which is the aggressor in this case, 21 packages that we have fully supported. We are great to forefront as a country in supporting Ukraine, be it with the very significant €90 billion support loan that we were part of underwriting in the European context, working with supporting them with non-lethal aid, giving them spare parts for their grid, welcoming so many Ukrainians here to Ireland, and also bringing about over 14,000 school places to support them at that very difficult time in their history. And that's why I'm very clear in the first instance, we have to have a robust investigation here. We're working very closely with the European Commission. Right now, Organish alumina was established about 1986 in Ireland. It is the largest supplier of alumina in the European context, and there's a few important facts to set out in the first instance to understand the trajectory we've got to. First of all, alumina is a critical raw material. It's relied upon for so many parts of every economy, including Europe, in terms of medical devices, the automotives, EVs, food sector, a huge proportion. I absolutely will. I said that we are doing an investigation, and once we get the evidence, I cannot, as a minister, make a decision without impartial evidence before me, working with the European Commission, who are the competent authority in this regard to essentially recommend sanctions to the Department of Enterprise and to the Irish government. We are the enforcement authority. We carry out the execution of the sanction, but the policy piece is in the genesis of the Commission, of which we feed into, and we will be working to ascertain the truth here. We're working, as I said, in a pan-European approach with other European authorities, which is critical. I want to be very clear here that the Irish government would not tolerate any exports that were feeding the Russian military complex. We have supported Ukraine. We have a very strong track record of doing that. I have set an independent process in place to ensure that we get to the bottom of the facts here of exactly where this Illumina is ending up, and we have to achieve that through that investigation. I would also point out that, in a European context, Illumina is not a dual-use product and hasn't been designated as such, and there are many products like that across the economy that haven't been designated as dual-use. So we have to be clear here, get the evidence, and then take action if it is so proven that the supply chain is not concealed and that it is getting in to aid and assist the Russian military complex. Deputy O'Connell. Minister, the facts on this have been established. Since the war began, our exports to Russia have soared. That's one fact. The second fact is these exports come from a company that the majority ownership behind it is a Russian oligarch who is a close ally and supporter of Putin. That's the second fact. Third fact that's been established by an independent investigation is that these exports, when they go to Russia, are being used to produce aluminium that are then being sold to Russian arm manufacturers. And a fourth fact is those Russian arm manufacturers are supplying Putin's invasion of Ukraine and those missiles and drones and weapons are being used to kill Ukrainian people. The facts are staring you in the face. The Australians knew the facts more than four years ago. They acted decisively. Why are you hiding behind? You need to ascertain the truth and establish what's going on here when it's been established for you. When are you going to act? When are you going to act decisively on this? When are you going to stop these exports? And when you answer my questions, have you asked the Ukrainian government for samples of drones and missiles so you can forensically examine them to make sure and establish the links between the exports from Ireland? Minister Barker. Thank you, Deputy O'Connell. Yes, we have spoken to the Ukrainian government and we have asked them for the evidence that they are in possession in relation to the allegation that's before us here. So they are currently engaging with the department in relation to that. That's why I said our investigation is very wide-ranging. It's a genuine investigation to get the evidence. I'm working with the Swedish authorities in relation to evidence that has come forward as well. But we need to do that process to prove the allegation you are putting forward here. We do know, and I did put on the record, to be helpful that the incorrect data was given to the Central Statistics Office in relation to the exports of Illumina to the EU and to Russia, of which about 45% of it goes to Russia and about 55% to the EU. But critically, we have been advised, and I have to stress test these notes that are given to me, and the independent investigation will do that, that a large proportion of that Illumina is re-imported back into the European Union from smelters in Russia. We have to assess all that and ensure that what we have is correct. And I put on the record very clearly, as a proud European, that we stand by Ukraine. We will not tolerate in any shape or form if exports from Ireland are advancing the cause of the Russian aggression in Ukraine and damaging their citizens.