Documents obtained by RTÉ News under the Freedom of Information Act reveal how management at Dublin Port was opposed to allowing a shipment of Russian diesel dock in the port in early March, following the invasion of Ukraine.
However, officials in the Department of Transport instructed the port to accept the shipment.
CEO of Dublin Port Eamonn O'Reilly first informed Secretary General of the Department of Transport Ken Spratt and other senior officials in an email dated 4 March of the imminent arrival of the STI Clapham with a consignment of Russian diesel which had requested permission to dock in the port.
An email with the same information had been sent the previous day by Dublin Port’s Harbour Master to an official in the Marine Transport Division.
In the email, Mr O'Reilly writes: "We need a definitive view from Government if we are to accept the ship into Dublin. The view of the entire management team is that we should not."
The email goes on to refer to the refusal of some UK port workers to handle Russian cargo. Mr O’Reilly writes of his concern that if the shipment were to arrive in to Dublin, "...it's highly likely there would be a similar reaction...".
He also raises concerns the shipment could become a "lightning rod for protest".
The email was forwarded for the minister's attention to the Special Adviser to Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton, the following day.
On Sunday 6 March, the Dublin Port CEO wrote again to the Minister’s Special Adviser attaching a memo for the attention of the minister. The email was copied to Chair of Dublin Port Jerry Grant and to the Department’s Secretary General.
This email informed the minister that the port would that day tell the STI Clapham’s shipping agent that the request to dock in Dublin "is being denied".
'No legal basis to refuse to accept this product'
In the email, Mr O'Reilly says he wants to explain to the minister the rationale for his decision. He refers to "the current circumstances of the invasion of Ukraine" and that "the overarching consideration in our decision making in this situation is moral".
He says he has the "full support" of the management team and of four of the seven board members he has had time to consult.
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He writes that "...I do not consider it appropriate to pass this moral choice along the line to frontline workers within Dublin Port".
He goes on to say that any other decision "would carry considerable reputational risk for Dublin Port" and that it was consistent with what was happening in other European ports.
Later that day, Sunday 6 March, the Secretary General of the Department of Transport writes to the Chair of Dublin Port on the direction of the Minister for Transport to inform him "...there is no legal basis to refuse to accept this product..." and that sanctions against Russia exclude oil product.
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The Secretary General says all Government agencies must abide by Government policy "...at a time when unwavering unity is essential".
He asks the Chair to confirm that the port will permit the diesel to be offloaded in the port. He also says that given the "extreme importance" of the matter, that any further communication be between him and the Chair "rather from one of your executives to the adviser of the Minister of State".
Within half-an-hour of that email being sent, the Dublin Port Company Chair emails back to formally confirm that the port will not refuse access to the shipment "and will act in concert with central government policy in the matter".
'..the decision made by "your CEO" was "contrary to Government policy"
The next day, Monday 7 March, the Secretary General writes again to Port Chair to tell him that the events of the weekend were "of serious concern to the Government, to the Minister and to me" and that the decision made by "your CEO" was "contrary to Government policy".
He asks that Circle K, the customer for the Russian diesel, be informed that the shipment will be allowed into the port.
He also states that "for reasons known only to himself, your CEO yesterday highlighted to the Minister of State that my directions to you were via text message" and goes on to say that he "knows that I also spoke with you several times and that I wrote to you on this matter".
A meeting between the Dublin Port Company Chair, CEO and the Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan and Minister for State Hildegarde Naughton as well as senior departmental officials was convened the next day. No records of the content of this meeting were released.
On Friday 11 March, a general notice was sent from the Marine Transport Division of the Department of Transport to all ports in the country informing them that "for the avoidance of any doubt" there was no ban on Russian flagged vessels or prohibition on Russian imports.
Over this time, the Department was kept informed of the arrival of Russian ships into Irish ports which included vessels carrying animal feed, fertilisers and alumina into the ports of Cork and Foynes.
The date of the arrival of the STI Clapham, which was registered in the Marshall Islands, with a cargo of diesel from the Russian port of Vysotsk changed over the course its voyage. It eventually docked on 14 March. It unloaded its cargo and departed the next day.
Discussions on proposals to phase in sanctions on the importation of Russian oil are ongoing at EU level.
