Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The new EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, has said it is time to move away from slogans to policies that might actually work. Whether we are talking about Ukraine or other conflicts, we need to examine that idea, although I do not think there is any simplistic answer. As regards Ukraine, rather than the Hobson's choice of going with Europe or Russia, the way forward would have been to develop the whole region. That is an alternative view.

Was Ireland's tax regime discussed at the European Council meeting? A statement after the Council referred to it and one company, Apple, was mentioned in relation to Ireland but it went off the agenda afterwards. We do not get a sense of what is going on at these Council meetings.

I presume that sanctions against Russia will be on the agenda again, so what is Ireland's position in that regard? Do we support the idea of such sanctions? Would the Minister of State not accept that falling oil and gas prices are probably having a greater effect on Russia than European sanctions, limited as they are?

We began by discussing the attacks in France and other countries, as well as the rise of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. In our own country, there has been a rise of sectarianism and racism. I suggest that Ireland could raise these matters at the next European Council meeting.

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