Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

We are insulated from the fire that has taken hold in southern Europe as a result of the migration crisis. Spain is now at the centre of it, along with Italy and Greece. The Taoiseach said that the upcoming Council is centre stage.

In the Taoiseach's conversations with the Spanish Prime Minister, who will be looking at things such as a new government and security arrangements, did Mr. Sánchez give any indication as to what that might mean for us and what we might be required to support? In an earlier question today the Taoiseach cited the fact that we had previously agreed to accept 4,000 programme refugees from Syria in the last iteration of the crisis. Does the Taoiseach believe that, after the upcoming meetings, we will be looking to increase our intake of refugees as part of the overall management of this crisis and not leave everything on the shoulders of Spain, Greece and Italy?

With regard to the Dutch Prime Minister, it is true we are close and, as I understand it, an informal relationship is developing, not just with the Dutch Government but also between the Scandinavian governments, the Baltic states and ourselves as an antidote to the potential future departure of Britain from the EU. Can the Taoiseach tell me if the Dutch Prime Minister has indicated, or is there collective work on, any kind of informal meetings with such a grouping, either meeting together in advance of or separate to a European Council meeting so that it would take on some sort of shape other than just a media notion? Have there been any sort of informal approaches to how we could work with such states within the Union in a collaborative way?

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