Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the update. I know that many other wider EU matters were addressed at the General Affairs Council and the European Council, but I think we are all agreed that the biggest issue impacting all of Europe, particularly the EU, at present is Russia's ongoing brutal war in Ukraine. At what stage does the EU think it will be in a position to evaluate the impact sanctions have had on Russia and whether they are playing as major a role as perhaps had been expected? I appreciate that it might be a little premature to get a fair idea of that, but was it discussed?

As for Ukraine's accession to the EU, while the Minister of State mentioned Ireland's support alongside that of other member states, the question is what tangible support measures can be given. The committee had a lengthy discussion with the Ukrainian ambassador a fortnight ago as to how Ukraine can achieve the Copenhagen criteria and the supports it would need in peacetime, let alone when the country is being bombed from a height by Russia. In that regard, the Minister of State mentioned that Ireland is contributing a considerable amount to the European package, but we have decided not to contribute to the purchase of lethal or military equipment or aid. Is that sustainable in the long term, particularly when it comes to the notion of solidarity within the European Union? At some stage will other states in the European Union as well as the Ukrainian Government look to Ireland and think we are helping only 99% and that we could go further?

Finally, while welcoming the expulsion yesterday of four Russian diplomats from the Russian Embassy, on Orwell Road, in my constituency, I hope those will be the first of many expulsions. What plans may the Government have taken already to expel the Russian ambassador? That is long overdue. I fully accept the reasons the Taoiseach has given for the expulsion of those four diplomats, but I think many of us have been calling for the expulsion of many more. We see that other EU member states have expelled diplomats in much greater numbers from their Russian embassies.