Need to ‘understand’ impact of sanctions on alumina, Tánaiste says
By Cillian Sherlock, Press Association
There is a need to “understand” the impact of any potential sanctions on alumina, the Tánaiste has said.
Simon Harris said it is important that nothing is “inadvertently being done” to provide assistance to Russia’s war effort, as he said impacts on supply chains and jobs are not a reason to decide against sanctions.
His comments comes as an report into the Aughinish Alumina refinery is expected within nine days.
The Limerick-based plant is Europe’s largest supplier of alumina and has a Russian parent company.
An investigation by The Irish Times and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), published in March, reported that alumina from the Limerick plant is sent to Russian smelters, where it is converted into aluminium used to supply manufacturers of the missiles, tanks and aircraft used against Ukraine.
Tánaiste said there is “really good and intense work going on” in relation to the investigation into Aughinish Alumina.
Harris said: “But it is important to say this too. Our job, as President Van der Leyen said last week, is to carry out our investigation.
“We will then provide the information in full to the European Commission.
“It is the European Commission to then decide whether the European Commission wishes to sanction or not sanction any individual or any company – that’s always been the way.”
Harris said Ireland has “always been supportive of all sanction packages”.
He told reporters at a meeting in Brussels: “I really hope in the coming days that the European Union could adopt the 21st package of sanctions against Russia, because what we know, as finance ministers, we know actually that the best way to try and change Putin’s calculus in terms of his brutal, illegal invasion of Ukraine is to hit the economy of Russia.”
Asked if Irish Government officials had engaged with the European Commission on the potential impacts of jobs at the plant and the wider European supply chain, Harris said: “It is always important – on any issue – that a sanctions package understands the impacts that it can have on the European Union.
“That’s not a reason to not impose sanctions, but it is a reason to at least understand it. ”
Harris said it had been seen “time and time again” that there could be impacts on various supply chains.
“Fundamentally, the European Union has to decide, and the European Commission has to decide on balance.
“But I’ve always said – and I want to be really clear and want to be really consistent on this – I think it’s the job of governments, I think it’s the job of the European Union to be able to do more than one thing at a time.
“It’s important that we continue to be able to have Alumina supplied to Europe – of course, it is.
“It’s also really important that we make sure that there’s nothing inadvertently being done in any manner or means that provides any assistance whatsoever to Russia when Ireland, the people of Ireland, Europe are utterly deplored by Putin’s actions and that of his regime in Ukraine.”
