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

I am not sure about the percentage of our overall spend but it is minuscule. In particular, if one looks at our membership PESCO, we are involved in programmes such as maritime surveillance and peacekeeping. We are not in any way moving towards, as is often suggested, an EU army. When one looks at our triple lock system, our neutrality, in the same way as for other member states which have joined PESCO, will not and cannot be impacted or changed without the wish of Irish citizens.

A vote would obviously be required to do that, but I do not see it changing any time soon.

What is important, as I will outline shortly, is that we are providing a massive amount of humanitarian assistance and aid through our Europe response. In terms of Ireland's specific response, we have provided €60 million in funding, which was previously committed, in direct or repurposed grants to enable our UN and other partners to respond rapidly to the situation on the ground. We have tripled our funding to the World Health Organization, and the Taoiseach, in a conference that took place last week, pledged €18 million to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. A huge effort is being put into supporting and protecting the member states and countries outside the EU that do not have the necessary finance or capabilities, whether that is to do with vaccines or otherwise. This is where the money is going. The suggestion that a large amount of money is going into defence or any type of EU army is simply not the case.

Regarding the Single Market and any type of treaty change, it was the case before the coronavirus, and I do not believe it has changed, that any move towards a treaty change is not something we would support at this point. Again, I can be corrected on that but I do not believe it is something to which we would be positively disposed, nor do I believe we are moving in the direction of individual member states becoming like county councils. I do not agree with that statement.

In his statement the Taoiseach set out the wide range of measures already taken or under development at EU level to protect citizens and businesses during the current crisis. Like at home, the focus has been on protecting life and health in the first instance as well as working to mitigate economic damage and to chart a path to recovery. Leaders have also correctly recognised that for the fight against Covid-19 to be successful it must have a global reach, and the EU has an important leadership role to play. We saw this in action on Monday when the EU took the lead in hosting a pledging conference during which €7.4 billion was pledged in support of the search for a vaccine, for medicines and for tests. This is something that Ireland strongly supports and, as the Taoiseach outlined, we announced a pledge on behalf of the Irish people of €18 million to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. This will be paid over the course of the next five years so that the poorest countries in the world will have access to a Covid-19 vaccine if, as we obviously hope, and when it is developed. That funding adds to the €60 million that Ireland has committed previously. We have quadrupled our contribution to the World Health Organization to €9.5 million.

Until there are effective diagnostics, treatments and a vaccine universally available, every region and country remains vulnerable to a renewed surge of the pandemic. On 8 April, development Ministers endorsed the Team Europe global response to Covid-19 with €15.6 billion mobilised by the Commission for the European Investment Bank and over €4 billion via member states targeting fragile and vulnerable countries. Such countries are facing enormous health and economic challenges as a result of the pandemic. The Team Europe collective approach is designed to approve a fast response on the ground where it is needed most, supporting health systems and also helping to alleviate the socioeconomic impacts of Covid-19. In the next 20 minutes the Taoiseach will take part, by video conference, in a summit of the EU and the western Balkan leaders. The key focus of that summit will be co-operation and support between the EU and the region throughout this crisis. On 29 April, the European Commission announced over €3.3 billion of EU financial support, mobilised jointly with the European Investment Bank, to specifically benefit the western Balkan citizens. Having been on a conference call this morning with many of the leaders, I believe that, now more than ever, as we move towards the opening of the enlargement session process with North Macedonia and Albania, it is important that citizens see this solidarity. It is also important as we exit this crisis that we work in unison not just within the EU but also with our partnering countries and states.

We have seen from the beginning of this crisis that the virus does not respect borders and does not recognise countries. To beat it and to forge a recovery, Ireland and the EU must think and act globally. This week the EU took a significant step in this regard. Ireland has made it very clear that it is willing and ready to play its part with its EU partners and the rest of the world in the global fight against Covid-19.

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