The Government is to bring the Occupied Territories Bill back to the Dáil in the coming weeks, according to Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee. The Bill, which would seek to restrict trade with illegally occupied settlements in Palestine, has become a focus of significant opposition pressure, with the Government facing charges of slow-walking the legislation in the face of potential risks to the economy. Frances Black, the Independent senator who first introduced legislation targeting trade with the Israeli settlements in 2018, said she had received a message from McEntee on Thursday morning saying the Bill would be brought back to the Dáil shortly.“Minister McEntee contacted me this morning and I strongly welcome that we’re finally seeing movement. It’s long past time that Government finally brought this legislation to the Dáil and delivered on the clear promises made,” she said. The Coalition is expected to focus the Bill on the trade in goods only, despite a recommendation from the Foreign Affairs Committee to target both goods and services. Targeting services is a potentially more politically contentious and logistically challenging step.“The key thing for me will be make sure that the law is thorough and effective – a ban on all trade with the illegal settlements, both goods and services,” Black told The Irish Times.“That is the standard set by my original Bill, by the ICJ [International Court of Justice], and which the Government have accepted is an obligation under international law. Other EU member states like Spain have shown that we can take this kind of action with the right political will. I look forward to the debate.”Black said McEntee has offered to meet her soon to discuss it, and that she would be seeking more information on the timelines.Black further added: “The Dáil rises for its summer recess on July 16th. That will be one year since the Foreign Affairs Committee last looked at the Bill and called unanimously, both Government and opposition, for the Bill to be passed and services included. That should focus minds – a hard deadline to get this passed in full.”