Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank everybody for their statements and questions. As the Taoiseach indicated, I will report on the discussions of the members of the European Council on the two external relations items on the agenda, namely, Russia and Turkey.

As the meeting was by videoconference, the discussion on Russia was only an information point. European Council President Charles Michel briefed leaders on his phone call with Russian President Putin on 22 March. Ireland fully supports the EU's position on Russia, which has been set out in five principles since 2016. These principles form a stable and effective framework for our interaction with Russia and it is important that the EU maintains its unified approach. EU leaders agreed to hold a strategic discussion on relations with Russia at a future in-person meeting of the European Council.

EU leaders discussed relations with Turkey and welcome the recent de-escalation of tensions in the eastern Mediterranean. Provided this de-escalation is sustained and Turkey engages constructively, leaders indicated the European Union is ready to engage with Turkey with a view to enhancing co-operation in a number of areas of mutual interest. The engagement would be phased, proportionate and reversible. Its purpose, however, is to bolster the more recent positive dynamic and EU leaders will return to this in June.

Leaders also agreed to provide financial assistance for Syrian refugees and host communities in Turkey. There are approximately 4 million Syrian refugees so this is a humanitarian imperative not just for Turkey but all of Europe really. These refugees and the communities that host them deserve our support and solidarity.

EU leaders also confirmed their commitment to a comprehensive statement of the Cyprus problem in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. In our capacity as a member of the UN Security Council, our priority is to see both sides resuming talks. We welcome the convening of the "5+1" talks in Geneva in late April and hope these talks will be conducive to the resumption of negotiations on the Cyprus matter.

This is a priority issue directly that directly affects the European Union. The Union's participation in the talks as an observer is essential. We stand ready to help the parties in their efforts. On the shape of a future settlement, Ireland, like other partners on the UN Security Council, remains committed to the achievement of a bizonal, bicommunal federal state as the basis of a solution.

It was also important that the European Council's conclusions took into account the human rights situation in Turkey. There have been regrettable backward steps by Turkey on the rule of law and human rights in recent weeks. The move to ban Turkey's third largest political party, the HDP, and thus deny representation to millions of voters is really troubling. At last week's meeting, the Taoiseach raised concerns about the decision of Turkey to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention. I thank Deputies for raising that matter today. The convention is essential in protecting women and girls from violence and this is a serious setback to the rights of women in Turkey. Some recent actions against students and the targeting of LGBT groups also run counter to Turkey's stated commitment to pursue a closer relationship with the European Union.

The European Union is built on an adherence to fundamental values, including defence of human rights, freedom of expression and respect for democracy and the rule of law. For any meaningful progress on Turkey's relationship with it to occur, Turkey will need to take positive concrete actions to address its internal human rights situation. Dialogue on fundamental rights will remain an integral part of the EU-Turkey relationship. In light of the aspects I have just outlined, Ireland agrees with the incremental approach set out by leaders. The EU has set out a pathway to a more positive EU-Turkey relationship, which will be implemented step by step and will be reversible if required.

As the Taoiseach stated, a good deal of the European Council's time was taken up with discussing Covid-19. There was a strong focus on economic issues, with discussions on the Single Market, industrial policy, digital policy and the meeting of the euro summit, which the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, attended in his capacity as President of the Eurogroup. In all these discussions, it was vital that the EU maintained a united, dignified and ambitious approach. The challenges we face are too great for any member state to deal with alone. By working together, we can achieve better outcomes not just for Ireland but for all of Europe. That applies to pandemic preparedness and vaccine procurement. Despite all the problems that have been rehearsed, it is undoubtedly the case that we are far better placed within the European Union structure, which is beginning to bear fruit in terms of delivery, then we would be on our own.

The point was made about the British vaccines by, I think, Deputy McDonald. There has been no offer of vaccines from Britain. If there were, we would certainly consider it. If there is such an offer, according to what their ministers are saying publicly on the record, it will presumably be later in the summer when they have vaccinated their own people.

Reference was made to the recovery and resilience fund. Work is under way by our officials in this regard. I pay tribute to them. They were criticised by a number of Deputies, something for which there is no precedent and which was a bit unfortunate. I do not think that should happen in the House. The officials are working hard negotiating which the Commission on the recovery and resilience fund. There are no conclusions yet in that regard. The amount we get could go up depending on economic performance. There is a huge amount of work going on in the context of the Brexit adjustment reserve. Ireland is by far the largest beneficiary of that fund because, as Deputy O'Donoghue said, we are seen as having suffered the most. That fund is an example of the practical solidarity that European Union leaders are showing toward us. I thank all Deputies for their contributions.

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