Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will try to be quicker. Deputy Stanton asked had the Russian ambassador been to the Department. Yes, he has been multiple times and there have been multiple phone calls. The ambassador is in no doubt as to our view and that has being delivered at a very senior level from the Secretary General and assistant secretary on different occasions. Those conversations take place perhaps not every day but I would say every second day.

The €11 million for the European Peace Facility has not been spent yet but it will be. That money has been available. We are also looking to see what gear we can provide and we will make some decisions on that shortly, having taken account of what we have that is spare and available. The members would be surprised there is not as much as they might think but there is some military defensive equipment that would be useful. We are making decisions on that as we speak and we will get it to Ukraine as quickly as we can.

In terms of Ukraine's EU membership, Ireland is a strong supporter of fast-tracking that process and getting Ukraine formally designated as an applicant country. I suspect when the leaders meet in Versailles today, that is one of the issues they will discuss because getting consensus on that is important. The EU membership process is quite complex and has a load of legalities and benchmarks that need to be met and so on. We should not forget that quite a few other countries are in the queue. That needs to be managed sensitively, but if ever there was a country whose people were literally giving their lives for the value system we hold dear in the European Union and what drives democracy in our Union, it is Ukraine at the moment. That has to be reflected in the political decisions we make.

Deputy Gannon asked about the Russian ambassador’s comments on Russian media. He reflected the fact there is a very strong feeling in Ireland against the decisions the Russian leadership has made. Obviously, there have been demonstrations in Ireland. I think what the ambassador said was that Irish people are to the fore of protesting and demonstrating against Russia or something like that. I am not surprised by that because Irish people are outraged by it.