Brussels: Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said Ireland does not want materials produced in the country to be used in weapons employed in Russia's war against Ukraine, The Irish Times reported on Friday. 'I would have concerns if material from Aughinish was being used in the war against the Ukrainian people,' Martin told reporters in Tivat, Montenegro. 'We don't want to in any shape or form have products that end up as weapons or as explosives that impact Ukraine,' he added.

According to Anadolu Agency, Martin's comments came amid scrutiny of the Aughinish Alumina plant in County Limerick, which has reportedly exported large volumes of alumina to Russia, where it is processed into aluminum later supplied to Russian defense manufacturers. Martin said the government would engage with the European Commission over the findings of an ongoing investigation by Ireland's Department of Enterprise into the matter.

He noted that alumina is not currently subject to EU sanctions and said any future restrictions would need to take into account the impact on European industrial supply chains. Russian customs data reportedly show shipments of Irish alumina to Russian smelters increased significantly between 2020 and 2024. The company operating the plant has warned that sanctions could affect alumina supplies in Europe and put jobs at risk. It says the facility directly employs 475 people and that 45% of its alumina output was exported to Russia last year.