Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)

I thank the Cathaoirleach. I am very grateful for the opportunity to attend before the committee today. I will present, for your consideration, the Supplementary Estimates for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. These relate to Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade. In total, the request we are making is for a net increase of €145 million in Vote 28. This will increase the total voted net expenditure ceiling for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade from €438.9 million to €583.9 million in 2025. Members will have received the advance briefing note provided by my Department. This summarises the reasons for the increases, which I will be happy to explain in a bit more detail and then respond to any further questions that you might have.

The Department’s request is for an additional allocation of €155 million gross or €145 million net. This takes account of anticipated additional income of €10 million, mainly arising from passport and consular fees. The specific reasons for the Supplementary Estimates are as follows. The largest part, €100 million, relates to Ukraine assistance. This allocation will allow Ireland to further support Ukraine outside of the European Peace Facility, EPF. At the outset, let me reiterate Ireland’s continuing solidarity and support for the government and people of Ukraine. I visited Ukraine earlier this year and witnessed at first hand the bravery and determination of the Ukrainian people in the face of Russian aggression.

As we have seen this week, Russia’s brutal aggression continues, with attacks on Ukraine’s towns and cities killing men, women and children in their homes. We welcome US efforts to bring peace to Ukraine and the progress made at this week’s meetings between the US and Ukraine in Geneva. We look to these talks continuing and to further progress being achieved. I would like to reiterate that the Government, alongside our EU partners, wants to see a just and lasting peace that guarantees Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty. Any agreement must also protect the vital security of Ukraine and Europe. That means strong, credible guarantees that ensure Ukraine can defend itself and deter future attacks. It is critical that Europe and the US continue to work together to achieve this.

We are in close contact with our European partners. The Taoiseach took part in a meeting of EU and like-minded leaders in the margins of the G20 in South Africa at the weekend, and a European Council meeting in the margins of the EU-Africa Summit in Angola just yesterday. The Taoiseach will participate in a virtual meeting of the coalition of the willing today. Tomorrow, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, will participate in a virtual meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council called to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

It is more important than ever that we remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine. This additional funding further demonstrates that Ireland continues to stand in solidarity with Ukraine. It reflects that the Government has acted decisively to make good on Ireland's commitment to provide €250 million in non-lethal military support to Ukraine, despite Hungary’s ongoing and regrettable blockage of the European Peace Facility. As the committee is aware, the European Peace Facility has been partially blocked since 2023, with disbursements to Ukraine under the Ukraine Assistance Fund particularly impacted. While Ireland continues to contribute to the European Peace Facility, this means that Ireland has been able to distribute only a proportion of its EPF commitment for Ukraine to date.

In March 2025, the Government agreed to provide €100 million to Ukraine through this subhead. This allocation has already allowed Ireland to provide non-lethal elements of air defence to Ukraine through procurement partnerships with other EU member states. In July, €10 million each was provided to the Ukraine defence contact group coalitions on demining and IT support, led by Lithuania and Iceland and Estonia and Luxembourg, respectively. The demining coalition aims to assist Ukraine with the procurement of demining equipment and training in the areas of humanitarian and combat demining. The IT coalition provides support in the areas of IT, communications and cybersecurity. The remaining €80 million is being disbursed to EU member states with which Ireland has agreed procurement partnerships, primarily for the procurement of non-lethal elements of air defence. The equipment is being procured directly from the Ukrainian defence industry.

We are seeking an additional €100 million now to continue with this vital work through the provision of additional support to Ukraine at this time. We hope that talks taking place this week can lead to a just and lasting peace but how peace is achieved matters. We do not wish to see a peace that rewards the aggressor. It is important that Ireland maintains our full solidarity and support for Ukraine and its people in the face of Russia’s war of aggression. Even as the US has convened talks in Geneva, Russia has continued its attacks. A massive attack on Sunday on Kharkiv resulted in the loss of more innocent lives. This follows last week’s appalling attack on Ternopil that killed 34 people, including six children. These are not the actions of a country seeking peace. This €100 million can be disbursed quickly through established mechanisms to ensure timely and necessary support to Ukraine.

We are also seeking an additional €45 million in respect of Ireland’s assessed contributions to the UN and wider multilateral system, in particular our share of UN peacekeeping costs and the UN general fund and other mandatory costs. Ireland is a strong supporter of global co-operation and has long been committed to multilateralism, in particular through our membership of the United Nations. Ensuring a strong and effective UN, including through the prompt and full payment of the requisite mandatory contributions, is a key objective of Ireland’s foreign policy.

Mandatory - or assessed - contributions to the UN can be broken into three parts, namely, the UN regular budget; the peacekeeping budget; and the budget for UN international criminal tribunals. Ireland’s contributions, by virtue of our membership of the UN, are calculated in accordance with the UN budgetary process and contributions are not evenly spread over the three-year payment cycle operated by the UN. Hence, Ireland’s annual contributions are very difficult to estimate due to the nature of this UN process and the timing of the Irish budget setting process. A large share of the UN's expenditure addresses its core mission of peace and security. The peacekeeping budget can vary significantly from year to year in line with the size and complexity of operations mandated by the UN Security Council, many of which are subject to annual change. The peacekeeping budget significantly exceeds the UN regular budget, largely due to the increase in the size, number, and complexity of these operations worldwide.

Finally, €10 million is requested to meet operational needs of the passport service under programme B. This €10 million will facilitate the purchase of passport books now to ensure continuity of supplies of books during 2026 for this essential citizen service. The committee will be aware of the anticipated launch of a new passport book and card in 2026. This allocation will ensure that appropriate stock levels of new and existing books are held for this essential citizen service. The Department continues to modernise and improve the Irish passport, as well as the systems that underpin production and service delivery for our citizens. December will see the start of the phased launch of the new core technology system to process passport and foreign birth register applications. The passport reform programme also encompasses the redesign and modernisation of the passport book and card, as well as the replacement of existing high security printing machinery required for passport personalisation. This will ensure that the passport service remains resilient and agile in response to future passport demand.

As part of the Supplementary Estimate, the Department has identified €10 million of additional income to partially offset the net ask from €155 million gross to €145 million net.

Our discussion today is focused on the Supplementary Estimates for the Department. However, I also wish to underline to this committee that the situation in Israel, Palestine and the wider Middle East region remains a central priority for my Department. It should be acknowledged that we are in a better position now than we have been in recent months. The agreement on a ceasefire and hostage release agreement represents welcome progress.

It has brought desperately-needed respite to Palestinians in Gaza. The release of hostages has brought relief to their families. Nonetheless, this is a fragile moment and there is a need to keep positive momentum. The ceasefire is fragile and must be preserved. Much more needs to be done to scale up delivery of vitally needed humanitarian aid into Gaza. The people of Gaza have endured unimaginable suffering. Efforts must advance to return essential services and provide for early recovery needs, food, water, sanitation, shelter, heating, medical needs and schooling for children. We must also see a political pathway that can lead to a lasting peace through implementation of the two-state solution. We must not lose our focus on the situation in the West Bank. I remain extremely concerned by recent ongoing developments including ongoing Israeli military operations that have displaced at least 40,000 people since January and caused unprecedented expansion of settlement activity.

The Minister for foreign affairs raised these concerns at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels just last week. No community should have to live under a ceasefire that does not deliver peace, nor a transition that does not advance the rights of all people. That is why Ireland remains committed to our role in peacekeeping in Lebanon through the work of the women and men of the Defence Forces in UNIFIL and by supporting an inclusive transition in Syria. The risk of renewed conflict in the wider region remains. Every effort must be made to avoid this. I am really grateful for members' time. I look forward to taking questions from members of the committee.