Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I commence my speech on the European Council meeting by again condemning the attacks in Brussels and extending our deepest sympathy to the families of those who have been bereaved and the many who have been wounded and injured. The reports are still coming in. It is an horrific attack on our institutions, democracy and fellow citizens across Europe and beyond. On another occasion it will be appropriate for the House to reflect on these happenings, with others, in what is a changing international environment and a continually evolving situation in respect of terrorist attacks that have as their sole objective the murder of innocent civilians and citizens across the globe, the creation of mayhem and the undermining of a values system that we cherish and hold dear as a country and union.

Five years ago, in March, a group of Syrian teenagers were arrested and tortured for writing graffiti that called for democracy in their country. The mass demonstrations this caused were brutally suppressed and the cycle of violence now called the Syrian civil war began. It has become the greatest humanitarian crisis in recent history. Instead of engaging with its people, the Assad regime chose to suppress them brutally. As the United Nations has stated, from the very beginning war crimes have been committed, including the regular use of chemical weapons denounced as barbaric 100 years ago when deployed in the First World War. The role played by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah in 2011 and 2012 in supporting President Assad in his refusal to allow a UN path to peace has been disastrous. Their targeting of attacks against moderate forces has helped the most repressive and radicalised elements to strengthen their position. The conflict, unfortunately, is testament to the weakening of international institutions and international co-operation in recent years. The use of Russian warplanes to bomb moderate forces, including Kurdish fighters who were successfully engaging the barbaric ISIS, is something even its most uncritical apologists have struggled to justify.

I hope peace talks will finally begin in a serious way. However, the first and absolute priority has to be aiding the victims of the conflict. Over 250,000 people have been killed and 11 million displaced, of whom over 4.5 million have left for other countries. They are living in desperate conditions in, at best, basic accommodation and with none of the social or economic facilities that might give them hope. There is no question that there is a refugee crisis. People in search of a future are leaving their homes and the camps. The pressures being faced in Europe are the inevitable outcome of five years of growing despair.

When we look at the scale of the crisis and the appalling humanitarian catastrophe involved, the outcome of last week's summit is, at best, inadequate and, at worst, shameful. The core agreement reached at the summit focused solely on trying to block the main migration route to Europe through tougher border controls enforcement.

This is to be achieved primarily through Turkey preventing refugees from leaving, in return for which the Turkish Government is to receive a range of long-sought demands. I will return to this deal in a moment, but the first thing that has to be said is that it is incredible that nearly two days were spent discussing the refugee crisis after which a communiqué was produced which makes almost no reference to the single most important factor: why these refugees are fleeing to Europe, which is, of course, the conditions they are living in having fled their homes. The absolute priority should be an emergency programme to ensure decent conditions for refugees. Unfortunately, this is not the priority. The United Nations and relief agencies continue to struggle for funding. They are pushed to the very limit to provide basic shelter, food and safe water for millions. There is a basic moral duty on us and on all countries to step up and do more. We must not agree with the idea that our focus should be just those who are seeking refuge in Europe.

Ireland is doing proportionately more than others but this is not enough. I believe we should immediately review our support programme, both our direct aid to organisations and the funding we provide to international bodies. We should work with other countries to set, cost and deliver at least basic standards of provision. Fianna Fáil continues to support increased funding for aiding the victims of the horrific conflict, and we call upon the Government to prepare proposals in conjunction with the main relief organisations for how this can be done. In addition, we believe that a further expansion in EU humanitarian support should be tabled at the Foreign Affairs Council.

The deal with Turkey concerning the handling of refugees seeking to travel to Greece was the dominant topic at the summit. What has emerged is highly unlikely to deliver significant benefits and it runs the risk of causing very serious damage to core principles of the European Union. Discouraging refugees from taking highly dangerous sea journeys is reasonable. However, linking this to visa-free travel for Turkish citizens and the speeding up of accession talks for Turkey sets a dangerous precedent. As Deputy Brendan Smith stated last week, we still oppose any measure which goes against clear legal obligations. Just as importantly, we insist that the European Union cannot compromise on core values which it demands of all members and of all countries that have automatic rights to access the Union.

For all the attacks on the Union which are made by its enemies on the extreme right and extreme left, it is a community of nations which respects the rule of law and upholds human rights to a level unmatched elsewhere in the world. Equally, these are the very values which mean that it is to Europe that so many are looking for refuge rather than to the countries which seek to undermine Europe. There is no way of looking at recent developments in Turkey and saying it is upholding core democratic values. The closing down of critical media is one part of what appears to be a growing intolerance to democratic ideals.

We must all stand in solidarity with the people of Turkey against the recent terrorist attacks. They and their Government are entitled to take strong action against those who clearly have no respect for the lives of innocent people. However, as has been shown elsewhere, the most effective way a democracy can combat terrorists is by upholding the rule of law.

Fianna Fáil is extremely concerned about developments in relation to the Kurdish population. The winning of seats in parliament by a party primarily backed by Kurds should have been welcomed as a positive development but was unfortunately treated as a threat. A long-term sustainable peace in Turkey requires a return to negotiations between the Government there and the main organisations representing the Kurdish people. The role of the PKK in fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq is one which shows that it is an organisation which cannot be dismissed.

Few commentators have suggested that this deal will play a decisive role in reducing the number of refugees seeking to journey to Europe. What all have agreed is that elements of the deal have nothing whatsoever to do with refugees.  However one wants to describe these demands by Turkey, the decision to agree to them makes last week's summit one which will not have an honourable place in the history of the Union.

On agricultural matters, these will be dealt with by Deputy Ó Cuív and others later today in a separate debate. The other items on the summit's agenda were merely formal. Leaders failed to have a substantive discussion about economic policy even though there are enormous concerns about deflationary pressures. The decision of the ECB to go further with extraordinary measures to try to lift economic demand should have caused some comments, yet the decision was to just keep ploughing on.

On Brexit, which was discussed at previous summits and which the Taoiseach referred to today, I am a little concerned about the Taoiseach's remarks about the situation of Irish workers in Britain. He is hinting or implying that there will be some unique bilateral deal done between the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of Irish workers in Britain. It needs to be set out more transparently and honestly whether it is possible under the EU framework to have a UK-Ireland bilateral deal that would be separate from every other set of relationships within the European Union. I would appreciate it if the Taoiseach could forward me a paper on the matter and, indeed, circulate that to the House, because it is a significant issue coming down the tracks in terms of the changes that have been made to welfare and workers' entitlements and benefits, particularly how these affect Irish workers in Britain.

A number of countries, including Italy and France, have raised concerns about how the current fiscal rules are being applied and there have been calls for greater flexibility to be shown.  Ireland should be supporting them in this rather than quietly going along with an approach which has manifestly failed to return Europe to sustainable growth. Ireland is doing well because of the core strengths of its economy built up over decades. It would have helped the outgoing Government if it had spent less time trying to sell a cynical story of post-2011 deliverance and more time talking about the long-term sources of growth for our country. Across Europe, unfortunately, there have been strong advocates for an orthodoxy of austerity for all, which has not worked. There are countries and circumstances where it is avoidable, but there are others where an expansionary approach, such as that seen in the United States, could be implemented and would work. Europe has been badly served by leaders going quietly along with pre-determined and inflexible plans. We still need leaders willing to show the level of urgency and ambition capable of addressing the social, economic and humanitarian crises facing our countries.

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