Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There were three questions there. First, on the difference in the funding for the shared island civic society fund, the difference is €4.3 million and it is based on a once-off payment that we made for the appointment of the chair of Irish studies in Cambridge. Our level has been consistent. We topped it up, if you like, one year. It has been an extraordinarily powerful fund. I have seen projects and communities that have already benefited from it. It is interesting. When you go to the North – I was at the North-South Ministerial Council in Armagh last week and I was there at the British-Irish Council the week before – it is interesting how the shared island is now widely accepted as a force for good across political traditions. I take great heart - I mean this sincerely - that it is seen as a good and positive development. More of it, I say.

Regarding EU enlargement, I was at a meeting yesterday of the Foreign Affairs Council. It is utterly wrong. A country has been under attack from brutal Russian aggression and has made so much progress on reforms. Imagine being able to reform while being attacked. It has got to the point where the European Commission is crystal clear in its analysis that the talks should begin and the clusters should be opened in terms of accession talks, and there is a country, namely, Hungary, that is blocking that. Shame on them. It is an appalling act. It is not just in Ukraine’s interest to join the European Union, it is in Europe’s interest. It is in our security interest and it is in our interest in every sense. The Polish only have a few days left of their Presidency but they have been ready throughout their Presidency to try to open talks, and Hungary is obstructing it.

In general, the European Union has been too sluggish when it comes to enlargement. Of course enlargement has to be merit-based and criteria-based. We should never seek to dilute that. To be a member of the European Union, you need to reach standards and reforms – absolutely. At the same time, there are quite a few countries that have been knocking on the door for far too long, and I hope and expect that when Ireland takes up the Presidency, this is an area we will put focus on. Enlargement is one of the best means of protecting European democracy and ensuring our continued prosperity.

As the Deputy rightly said, we established a fund last year to provide practical support to candidate countries to advance their EU reforms. In addition to the opening later this year of three embassies in three candidate countries - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova and Serbia - this is a concrete way of demonstrating our commitment to EU enlargement. Progressing EU enlargement will also be a priority of our Presidency.