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

I thank Deputies for their statements. The agenda for this week's meeting of the European Council was discussed yesterday in Luxemburg at the General Affairs Council, GAC, which I attended. The Taoiseach has outlined his expectations for the European Council's discussions, as Members have also reflected, on Covid-19, digital, energy prices, trade and migration. Deputies should make no mistake; energy prices will probably be the signature issue of this particular summit.

A number of Deputies mentioned EU-UK relations and Brexit. These are not on the agenda, but I have no doubt that leaders will consult the Taoiseach and listen to his views on the matter. If my engagements yesterday or anything to go by, they will be interested in the Irish position and supportive of the European Commission. I am pleased that the proposals from the European Commission have been well received across the board in Northern Ireland.

The issue of the rule of law has been raised. I agree with almost everything that Deputies said, as does the Taoiseach. I have spoken out on this, both publicly and privately, at every opportunity. The General Affairs Council deals with the rule of law at almost every meeting. The European Union is a Community of law and values. Without acceptance of this and consistent implementation, our unity and the functioning of the Union breaks down. The values in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union underpin everything we do together, including the rule of law. This must be respected by all member states. As member states, there is an onus on all of us to comply with the determinations of the Court of Justice of the European Union. As part of membership of the Union, it is essential that member states accept the primacy of EU law where it applies. The judgment of the Polish constitutional court is a cause of concern. It is only the latest development to highlight concerns about the direction of travel in Poland, including as regards judicial independence.

Ireland has supported the development of tools, such as the budget conditionality. In fact, we were party to the case in the European Court of Justice last week in support of the European position. We want to support the Commission in fulfilling its vital role in ensuring adherence to the obligations of the EU treaty. We fully welcome and support what President von der Leyen said in the European Parliament on Tuesday.

The issue of anti-Semitism will be on the agenda. I was proud that the Taoiseach attended the Malmö conference. I appeal to Deputies, when speaking about anti-Semitism, to keep that issue and Israel-Palestine separate. They should not bring Israel-Palestine into discussion. Anti-Semitism is an evil which needs to be tackled, full stop. The Taoiseach was at the Malmö summit representing us proudly on ways to deal with this evil. I appeal to Members to deal with anti-Semitism separately and not to bring extraneous issues into the discussion because it does not give-----

See this speech in context