Finance Minister issues eighth 2026 order on ISIL and Al-Qaida sanctions

The Minister for Finance has made S.I. No. 515 of 2026, a new statutory instrument concerning restrictive measures against certain persons and entities associated with the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida organisations. The regulations were published in Iris Oifigiúil No. 82 of Tuesday, 13 October 2026, in Section I. They are made under section 42 of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 and are intended to give further effect to Council Regulation (EC) 881/2002 of 27 May 2002.

The full official title of the instrument is the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 (Section 42) (Restrictive Measures Concerning Certain Persons and Entities Associated with the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Organisations) (No. 8) Regulations 2026. The Minister for Finance acted in exercise of the powers conferred on him by subsections (2) and (6) of section 42 of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 (No. 2 of 2005), and for the purpose of giving further effect to the Council regulation of 27 May 2002.

The eighth instrument of the year

The number in the title — No. 8 — places the instrument within a rolling series of Irish measures adopted during 2026 against the same target group. The gazette record shows the sequence advancing at short intervals:

• S.I. No. 515 of 2026 — No. 8 Regulations, published 13 October 2026.
• No. 7 Regulations — published 25 September 2026.
• No. 6 Regulations — published 8 September 2026.
• No. 5 Regulations — published 25 August 2026.

Each instrument repeats the same legal formula: the Minister for Finance, the section 42 power under the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005, and the stated purpose of giving further effect to Council Regulation (EC) 881/2002. The recurrence reflects the need to keep domestic enforcement aligned with the EU list of designated persons and entities as it is amended.

What the regulations do

The title of the instrument defines its scope: restrictive measures concerning certain persons and entities associated with the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida organisations. Notices of this class published in Iris Oifigiúil state that the regulations provide for the enforcement of restrictive measures contained in the relevant Council regulation, that competent authorities of the State may issue directions for the purpose of giving full effect to the sanctions, and that offences arise from breach of the Council regulation or from failure to comply with those directions, with appropriate penalties attached.

The practical effect is that the asset-freeze regime is carried into Irish law and made enforceable domestically. Financial institutions and any person or body handling funds connected to a designated person or entity fall within its reach.

Publication, price and accompanying instruments

The notice sets out how the text may be obtained:

• Copies may be purchased from Government Publications, Mountshannon Road, Kilmainham, Dublin, D08 XA06.
• Telephone: 046 942 3100; email: publications@opw.ie.
• Price: €6.50.

The same edition of Iris Oifigiúil carries two further statutory instruments. S.I. No. 514 of 2026, the European Union (Restrictive Measures Concerning Ukraine) (No. 13) Regulations 2026, was also made by the Minister for Finance under section 3 of the European Communities Act 1972, giving full effect to five amended Council regulations on Ukraine, and is priced at €4.50. S.I. No. 513 of 2026, the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 (Records and Accounts) Regulations 2026, was made by Údarás Rialála Cearrbhachais na hÉireann, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, under sections 9 and 152 of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 (No. 35 of 2024), and is priced at €3.00.

The appearance of a thirteenth Ukraine instrument and an eighth ISIL and Al-Qaida instrument in a single edition underlines how routine, and how continuous, the maintenance of Ireland’s sanctions framework has become.

Why it matters

For banks, payment firms, funds and professional advisers, the instrument is an operational document rather than a news item: it is the domestic hook that makes the EU asset freeze enforceable in Ireland and exposes those who deal with designated funds to criminal liability. Its publication date — 13 October 2026 — is the reference point for compliance teams checking whether their screening and reporting arrangements match the current list.

Source: Iris Oifigiúil, No. 82 of 13 October 2026, Section I, p. 1 (official reference: S.I. No. 515 of 2026).