Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will start with Deputy Haughey's questions. On the question of Brexit and a no-deal scenario, as he said, this poses both great economic threats and great political threats to North-South relationships and our east-west relationships with the UK. We have set a very clear benchmark as to why the backstop is necessary. It is there to protect the Good Friday Agreement, the areas of co-operation which the Deputy rightly mentioned, and our all-island economy. It also protects the Single Market and the customs union. Alternative arrangements have been proposed by different groupings, some of which are independent of the UK Government. The current Prime Minister and sitting government also put in place a group to consider alternative arrangements. What we have seen so far focuses on technical solutions that do not address or reach the very clear benchmarks we and the UK have set, benchmarks to which the EU is very committed.

As to whether we still have solidarity, we absolutely do. Last week's meeting of the European Council is the first I have attended at which Brexit was not top of the agenda. It did not take over much of the discussion. The very clear and simple statement from Donald Tusk was that we will be willing to engage on the political declaration on our future relationship if there is movement from the UK, but that we will not move on the withdrawal agreement, which includes the backstop, the financial settlement, and citizens' rights. Regardless of what is said in the midst of the current contest and irrespective of who becomes the next prime minister, it is clear that the facts will not change. The past three years will not change. The agreements reached in negotiations cannot be changed, with the exception of the political declaration on the future relationship.

On the EU posts and positions, I cannot tell the Deputy who might get what position. EU leaders, meeting last week, spoke for a long time and no candidates were eliminated. Nobody was voted on, but obviously no conclusions were reached. There are a number of moving parts in this regard. The Taoiseach earlier spoke about five positions. The European Central Bank post will most likely be dealt with separately, but the positions in the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission and the High Representative will be presented, most likely as a package, at the same time. The European Parliament has the ability to approve or reject the proposals for the European Commission as well.

Going back to what Deputies Howlin and Maureen O'Sullivan said about people do not having a say in this, 751 MEPs have a very clear and direct say and the Heads of Government from all member states have a very clear say in this extremely important matter. There will be considerable discussion this week with all the Heads of Government, including Ireland's. We have a voice and we are very clear that there needs to be a geographical balance, a political balance and absolutely a gender balance. In line with the treaties we need to ensure that smaller member states are represented and, of course, we need the best people for the jobs, irrespective of whether they come from the proposed Spitzenkandidaten, Ms Vestager, Mr. Timmermans and Mr. Weber. The EPP has come out again today to express our support for Mr. Weber as our lead proposed candidate. We need to see how the discussion goes next Monday. The sooner we can put this in place the better, with the Finnish Presidency starting on 1 July. The suite of Commissioners also must go through the committee stages and the questioning by the European Parliament to allow business to move on as quickly as possible. It is extremely important given the context in which we find ourselves.

Our national statement fed into the EU strategic agenda, in the same way as did the statements of the other 27 member states. While it may not seem that everything is reflected, overall we are happy with the agenda that has been set, particularly the focus on progressing the economy and the Single Market, and ensuring that we continue to do what we are doing right. We need to look at the new priorities and challenges we are facing, including climate and the changing world around us, our engagement and our relationships with our neighbours. We also need to consider education for our young people. I am pleased to see today's announcement that 114 universities throughout Europe will be working more collaboratively. DCU and Trinity College have been selected as two of those universities and I wish them every success in that regard.

Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked three questions. The EU - this includes an Irish voice - has clearly called for the detention centres in Libya to be shut down because as the Deputy rightly said they are not fit for purpose. We would not want anybody to be detained in those conditions. We are dealing with a very challenging issue in general in Libya. While the EU policy is not to direct migrants back to Libya, the EU is working with the Libyan coastguard and is helping to train them with human rights a key focus in that training. They are doing that inasmuch as they can, but also ensuring that where migrants are returned, where possible they are returned to the country from which they have come if it is not Libya. Considerable work is ongoing in that regard at the moment.

On the free trade agreement, we have only just established the new European Labour Authority for the European Union and Slovakia was selected as its base. We take workers' rights very seriously. At the moment there is no clear link to free trade agreements. However, the closer we are and the more engagement we have with either groupings of countries or individual countries, be it on a bilateral basis or otherwise, the more engagement we can have not just on trade issues, but also on human rights issues. We can use that as a forum and a platform to work through and provide support, financial or otherwise, where there are challenging situations to try to improve any member state where it seeks that and where we can help it.

On climate, there is a priority from a European point of view that we are not just trying to catch up on targets, but we are actually setting the agenda and leading the agenda. Last year the Commission published a document clearly setting out that we do not just want to reach our own targets, but that we want to be leaders on the global stage. While there was some disagreement between member states at last week's Council meeting, we need to take into account that individual member states have challenges in reaching targets. Ireland is very clear. The document we launched last week, which has involved months of extensive consultation among political groupings and Independents here, as well as working with the Departments, sets out not just our targets to reduce our emissions by 2030, but also how we will reach climate neutrality by 2050. The Commission's document does not set out the targets for reduction of emissions for 2040 and 2050, but we want to work towards that. We have a number of opportunities, particularly at the UN climate meeting, which is taking place in September, to restate our position and our ambitions. We need to be as ambitious as we possibly can be. We acknowledge there are challenges and Ireland has its own challenges in reaching those targets just as other member states do. We need to work together to help one another to try to reach those targets.

The Taoiseach mentioned a number of issues which were addressed at the European Council. In my wrap-up remarks, I wish to focus on enlargement and the external relations that were discussed last week. On external relations we discussed a range of issues, including developments in Russia and Ukraine; Turkish activities in Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone; the eastern partnership; recent developments in Moldova; the EU’s relationship with Africa, including with Morocco and Libya; and the fifth anniversary of the downing of flight MH17.

We agreed to roll over the sanctions against Russia in light of the ongoing situation in eastern Ukraine, and the fact that the Minsk Accords have not been fully implemented. I know Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan also raised the issue of the Council of Europe. She is right in saying that we need to ensure that we try to protect the individuals on the ground. I believe that is why the decision was made in terms of the voting rights for the Council of Europe.

We discussed Turkey’s ongoing illegal drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean. We again called on Turkey to cease such activities and to respect the sovereign rights of Cyprus. From Ireland’s perspective, we stand in full solidarity with Cyprus. Together with our EU partners, we will continue to monitor developments closely and to respond appropriately. The Taoiseach made a very clear statement at the Council last week.

In terms of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine, which Russia continues to breach through its illegal annexation of Crimea and Sebastopol, we fully support the decision to roll over the sanctions. The European Council noted that 17 July will mark the fifth anniversary of the tragic downing of flight MH17, which claimed 298 lives, including an Irish citizen. Leaders welcomed the announcement by the joint investigation team on 19 June that criminal charges will be brought in the Netherlands against four individuals.

Leaders also took the opportunity to mark the tenth anniversary of the eastern partnership and agreed that work should proceed on a further set of long-term policy objectives in advance of the next eastern partnership summit. Ireland supports this programme, which has matured in a challenging geopolitical environment, while helping to promote security and prosperity in the region. In advance of the European Council, I hosted an event in Government Buildings to mark the anniversary.

I am pleased that leaders also agreed on the importance of the EU's strategic partnership with Africa, and committed to further developing these ties. Ireland has been active in calling for this and we highlighted it as a priority in discussions over the next EU strategic agenda. It builds on the positive engagement at the first EU-African Union meetings that took place at ministerial level and the EU-African Union summit held in Abidjan in November 2017.

Given the EU’s focus on ensuring Libya’s peace and long-term stability, I am pleased that leaders reiterated our support for the UN-led political process to bring about a peaceful resolution and a political transition there.

The European Council also welcomed the renewed impetus in EU-Morocco relations. Ireland's bilateral relations with Morocco are strong and we intend to open an embassy in Rabat in 2020.

I attended the General Affairs Council on 18 June where we adopted conclusions on the enlargement and stabilisation and association process. Leaders endorsed these conclusions at the European Council last week.

From an Irish perspective, we welcome the findings of the Commission’s annual enlargement package, including the recommendations to open accession negotiations with the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania. North Macedonia has made significant progress on key reforms. Due to its importance, leaders agreed to return to this issue in October.

The issue of Albania is obviously more complex, but progress has also been made in this area. It is extremely important that we be able to give both countries a positive signal when we return to this issue in October.

As the Taoiseach said, it was a lengthy series of meetings at the European Council at which a huge number of issues were discussed. I thank all Deputies for their statements and assure them that the Taoiseach and I will continue to report to the House in advance of these meetings.

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