Taoiseach Michéal Martin has rejected claims that Ireland will be punished by the US over the Occupied Territories bill and said the country will not “suffer unduly”.

After US President Donald Trump threatened 30% tariffs on imports from the EU earlier this week, US politicians have suggested that the bill will not bode well for Ireland. US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said the bill - which will prohibit trade between the State and Israel’s illegal settlements- would not be received well in the US and it “would not go unnoticed”.

Speaking in Cork on Friday, the Taoiseach refuted claims that the bill will harm Ireland economically. He said: “There are efforts abroad to undermine the integrity of Ireland’s position, to misrepresent Ireland’s position. We are conscious of that. We will always work to protect our economic interests and the national interest

“We don’t want in any way to undermine Ireland. The purpose of the exercise is not that Ireland would suffer unduly in respect of this.” The Taoiseach added that the bill “has not been mooted” and there is a broader negotiation ongoing between the EU and US on tariffs.

He added: "Those negotiations are tough and as you know we have until August 1 to resolve it. That is the context on which tariffs will be discussed and now an individual member state basis." This comes as former minister for justice Alan Shatter heavily criticised the bill as it was given consideration at the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs on Tuesday.

As a member of the Ireland Israel Alliance, the former Fine Gael TD repeatedly referred to the bill as a “Father Ted” measure. He also compared it to how the Jews were targeted during the Second World War.

Responding to this, the Taoiseach said: “What I would reject very strongly is any suggestion that there is any hint of antisemitism in terms of the Irish position. I think that was wrongly presented by former Minister (Alan) Shatter in his presentation to the Oireachtas committee.

"I was dismayed at the language he used. It was false language and it was a very false presentation.” The Taoiseach said the focus needs to be on the thousands of people who have died in Gaza and the ongoing loss.

He continued: “The Irish people are appalled by what is happening in Gaza and indeed across the West Bank. People I meet cannot understand the continued slaughter of children.

"Only in the last 48 hours a church was attacked, a Catholic Church was attacked and innocent people were killed. The war needs to stop. Hostages need to be released and the political process and a massive surge in humanitarian aid needs to be facilitated.”

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