Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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Tá leithscéalta faighte againn ó na Seanadóirí Conor Murphy, Joe O'Reilly agus Cathal Byrne.

I advise members of the constitutional requirement that they must be physically present within the confines of the Leinster House complex in order to participate in public meetings. I will not permit a member to participate where they are not adhering to this constitutional requirement. Therefore, a member who attempts to participate from outside the precincts will be asked to leave the meeting. In this regard, I ask any member partaking via Microsoft Teams that prior to making their contribution to the meeting, they confirm they are on the grounds of the Leinster House campus. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice that they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable, or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of the person or entity. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks. It is imperative they comply with any such direction.

The joint committee is meeting today to discuss two legislative proposals from the EU. The first is COM (2025) 122, which is a proposal for a Council regulation establishing the security action for Europe, SAFE, through the reinforcement of the European defence industry instrument. The Commission has presented the ReArm Europe Plan - Readiness 2030, which is structured around five pillars. The SAFE regulation we will be discussing represents one pillar of the plan and seeks to provide a new EU financial instrument to raise up to €150 billion in capital markets to support and accelerate national investments.

The second proposal for discussion is COM (2025) 123, which is a regulation amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1058, European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund, and the just transition fund, JTF, in the context of specific measures to address strategic challenges in the context of the mid-term review. The EU's investment policy covers a range of programmes which seek to support job creation, competitiveness, economic growth, sustainability, sustainable development and improvements to quality of life. Cohesion policy is delivered through four specific funds, the European Regional Development Fund, ERDF, the Cohesion Fund, CF, the European Social Fund Plus, ESF+, and the just transition fund.

The legal framework for the cohesion policy programmes provides for a mid-term review in 2025, allowing member states the option to redirect resources from the period 2021 to 2027 towards investments in areas considered by the Commission as key priorities. To this end, the Commission has proposed targeted amendments that seek to use the mid-term review of cohesion policies to prioritise the priorities of the Union. Specific objectives of the proposals include extension of the ERDF to large companies in areas such as defence, strategic technologies and decarbonisation. The regulation would also create two new specific objectives within the scope of the ERDF to support defence, with the first allowing for the reprogramming of funds to enhance productive capacities in defence enterprises and the fostering of military mobility within the EU.

To discuss both proposals, I welcome Mr. Guillaume de la Brosse and his officials from the European Commission. From the Department of Finance, I welcome Mr. Matthew McGann, principal officer with the EU strategy unit, and Ms Fiona Ralph, principal officer with the EU budget unit. From the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, I welcome Dr. Andrew Condon, principal officer with responsibility for EU cohesion funds and the North-South unit. From the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, I welcome Ms Nicole Mannion, director of the international security policy unit. From the Department of Defence, I welcome Mr. James Ryan, principal officer with the EU-industrial engagement unit.

I invite Ms Ralph to make an opening statement on behalf of all of the officials present.