Aughinish Alumina report expected within 10 days, Enterprise Minister says

By Bairbre Holmes, Press Association

A report into Aughinish Alumina refinery is expected within 10 days, Enterprise Minister Peter Burke has said.

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.

Responding to Labour’s Ged Nash during Leaders’ Questions on Thursday Burke said he expected to have the report “within the next 10 days”, but that some “clarifications” are needed.

He said his department is working with Ukrainian authorities on these and he met with the Ukrainian ambassador earlier this week.

Burke also said they have also been engaged with Swedish authorities in connection with investigations they are carrying out.

The Taoiseach has previously said Ireland will engage with the European Commission on foot of the report, and on Thursday Burke said a threshold of evidence needs to be obtained before that happens.

“To get the evidence that meets that threshold is going to be challenging,” he said.

Defending the Government’s record Burke said that since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine they have “never asked for any sanctions not to be put on Aughinish Alumina”.

“We have never asked for any leeway, we never have lobbied on their behalf.”

He said the Government has “100 per cent supported” all 20 Russian sanction packages brought forward by the European Commission.

Addressing the Dáil Nash said: “The Irish Times report clearly showed, based on official national statistics, that over 80% of alumina from Ireland was being shipped to Russia and turned into weapons.

“Your department has disputed this and said it’s less than 50% But Minister, 1% is 1% too much.”

Burke said Revenue are “reassessing” their figures after Aughinish Alumina’s management said they made an error “in recording the trade flows to the EU versus what’s to Russia”, having previously said around 44 per cent of exports go to Russia.

“I absolutely agree with you that any amount that gets in the wrong hands is not acceptable,” he said.