Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 to 22, inclusive, together.

I attended the special European Council meeting in Brussels on 30 August. At that meeting, Donald Tusk was elected as the new President of the European Council and Federica Mogherini was appointed High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

The European Council also discussed the situation in Ukraine. It expressed its concern about the ongoing fighting there, and condemned the illegal annexation of Crimea and the flow of fighters and weapons into eastern Ukraine. It requested the Commission and the European External Action Service to prepare proposals for further restrictive measures against Russia. These proposals were subsequently enacted and remain in force, with further measures agreed at the Foreign Affairs Council on 17 November.

While there was no meeting of the European Council held in September, the situation in Syria and Iraq was also considered by the August European Council. It expressed its dismay at the deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation as a result of the occupation of parts of the territory of those countries by ISIL. It firmly condemned the indiscriminate killings and human rights violations perpetrated by ISIL and other terrorist organisations, in particular against Christian and other religious and ethnic minorities, who should be part of a new, democratic Iraq, and called for those responsible for such crimes to be held to account. It also addressed the threat posed to Europe by Islamist-extremist terrorism and the need to stem the flow of foreign fighters to the region.

The European Council also acknowledged that instability in Syria, caused by the Assad regime’s brutal war against its own people, had allowed ISIL to flourish and stated that a lasting solution requires a political transition in Syria.

No aspect of corporate tax was discussed at the August European Council meeting.

I also attended the European Council meeting in Brussels on 24 and 25 October. I reported to the House on the outcomes of that meeting in a comprehensive statement on 5 November. The main outcome was agreement on an EU climate and energy policy framework for the period to 2030. The economic situation was also discussed at the European Council and at the separate Euro Summit, and conclusions were also adopted on combating the Ebola outbreak.

While I did not have any separate bilateral meetings in the margins of the October European Council meeting, I did, of course, engage with all of my colleagues, including Chancellor Merkel, during the course of discussions. I have not had a bilateral meeting with Chancellor Merkel since my visit to Berlin in July.

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership was not discussed at the European Council meetings in August or October and I have not recently discussed the issue bilaterally with other EU Heads of State or Government. However, the completion of negotiations on TTIP was included in the strategic agenda for the European Union agreed by the European Council in June.

Moreover, at a Council meeting of Trade Ministers on 21 November, which was attended by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, Ministers reconfirmed their strong expectation of concluding a deep, ambitious, balanced and mutually beneficial agreement on all three pillars of the negotiations as soon as feasible.

As negotiations between the EU and US continue, Ireland continues to be a strong proponent of an ambitious agreement.

The possible use of the European Stability Mechanism for bank recapitalisation has not been up for discussion at recent European Council meetings, but it is for consideration by Finance Ministers. During, and in the margins of, European Council meetings, I continue to engage with my colleagues in regard to Ireland’s economic situation.

I have not written to Jean-Claude Juncker on this issue, nor spoken to him about it since his appointment as President of the European Commission.

It is widely recognised, including in the annual growth survey launched by the Commission recently, that the economic recovery in Europe is weaker than had been hoped for. Urgent action is required to re-establish a pattern of sustainable growth and to reduce the persistently high levels of unemployment. The investment plan for Europe announced recently by President of the European Commission, Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker, will be one of the key issues to be discussed by the European Council this week.

I will provide a full statement to the House tomorrow on the forthcoming European Council.

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