The Government is failing to control arms traders operating out of Ireland, Amnesty International has told an Oireachtas foreign affairs committee.
Legislation to regulate the exports of military and dual use goods, which would include the controls on arms brokers, was promised last year but it appeared that no progress had been made, Jim Loughran of Amnesty International said.
The need for such legislation had been highlighted recently, by a group of schoolgirls in Co Laois who had set up a "dummy company" and bought weaponry over the internet, he said.
Of further concern was a recent shipment of "Apache" attack helicopters which stopped off at Shannon airport en route to Israel.
"Amnesty International has in the past called for a cessation order for such exports given their use in assassinations and attacks on the civilian population."
Ireland was currently ex- porting €400 million annually in military grade goods and €4 billion in dual use products. The Government had a "positive stance" on arms control issues internationally, Mr Loughran said, which made its failure to introduce arms legislation even more glaring.
The chairman of the committee, Dr Michael Woods (FF), said the legislation on arms exports would come before the Dáil this autumn and any Bill would include controls on arms brokers in Ireland.
He added that he would inform the Government of the urgent need to support an international arms trade treaty.
