Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the Taoiseach's opening remarks. I am grateful for the update on the Council meeting two weeks ago. I have four points to make with regard to the debrief and the Council meeting. The first relates to the rule of law. I share the concerns voiced by a number of Deputies about what is happening in Poland and Hungary at present. The rule of law, fundamental freedoms and democracy are central tenets of the European Union and, from our point of view, they should be non-negotiable red lines. I agree with President von der Leyen that what is happening in those two countries is a direct threat to the legal order in the European Union and, by extension, to the existence of the European Union.

I am a little disappointed that more stringent action was not taken against Poland and Hungary. I appreciate the political nuances that are at play, but if the Polish constitutional court has a problem with the compatibility of European Union legislation it is up to Poland to amend its constitution accordingly, just as Ireland did numerous times over the last 50 years. That is the direction in which we should go. We should apply all the levers that are available, judicially, diplomatically, politically and economically, to apply pressure to those two countries. There are conditions associated with EU funds and while I know we should not use that as a first resort, it certainly should be used as a last resort. It is something that should be considered at the next EU Council meeting before Christmas, if it comes to that.

The second point I wish to raise is energy prices, which has been mentioned often today. There is a massive spike in energy prices. We can see it at the petrol pumps. It is going to drive more people into fuel poverty. Also, and almost as important, it is going to undermine the key message with regard to the transition to renewable energy. People will blame the transition to renewable energy as the reason for the price spike. Yes, it is a factor, but it is not the dominant factor by any means. I agree with the European Union's approach that short, medium and long-term measures should be put in place and I welcome the fact that the European Investment Bank will be mobilised for the medium-term to long-term solutions.

However, I wish to dwell a little on the short-term solutions. I appreciate that the Government introduced amendments to the fuel allowance in respect of both its size and longevity, but there a few other measures mentioned in the EU tool kit that I am not convinced we have fully explored or exploited. The first is deferred payments, and perhaps the Minister of State will comment on this in his closing remarks. Have we explored with the energy companies the possibility of people deferring their payments until later in the winter once the spike is over? Are there any safeguards introduced to prevent people having their electricity supply cut off? That is another measure that could be explored fully. Have we the safeguards to ensure there is no cartel-like behaviour or any speculation taking place to drive up the prices? The energy companies are very lucrative and profitable and the question many people are asking is: should the energy companies not be absorbing these losses? They are far more capable of absorbing spikes such as this than the average consumer in Ireland. Perhaps it is something we should explore.

Another key point was mentioned in Brussels. We know the national grid is particularly vulnerable at present. From a cyber point of view, we know how vulnerable we are after the attack on the HSE. Has the National Cyber Security Centre carried out an audit of the national grid? Are we convinced and assured that we have the necessary safeguards in place and that we are not vulnerable to a cyber attack on the national grid?

The third point I wish to raise is forced migration. Obviously, this is a major issue on the Belarusian border at present. I agree with the characterisation of what is happening there with refugees as the "instrumentalisation" of refugees. "Instrumentalisation" just means exploitation or further exploitation. What is happening there is a disgrace and the EU is right to call it out for what it is - a hybrid attack on Lithuania and other EU countries by the Belarusian regime. As a member of the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, I will highlight the case of one political prisoner in Belarus, Artsiom Bayarski. He is a student and his only alleged crime was to use his freedom of speech, which he is entitled to do. His show trial is coming up in the next few weeks. The Minister for Foreign Affairs has been publicising other political prisoners as well. I wish to send my solidarity and to emphasise the fact that Ireland, through the European Union, should be absolute in putting maximum pressure on the Belarusian regime to prevent these trials and to ensure the immediate release of the prisoners. Sanctions is the appropriate way. The European Union has agreed to the principle of increased sanctions on Belarus, but I would prefer if the sanctions were actually implemented. There should have been a pallet of sanctions available to the leaders of the countries two weeks ago, rather than waiting for December. Hopefully, that is something we can work on before Christmas.

The last point I wish to raise relates to the pandemic. It is good that Ireland is top of the class for vaccination, at 93%. We should never try to meet the standard, but always try to be the standard. We are, for a change, at the top of the list. That is exactly how it should be. More work needs to be done to tackle misinformation about the vaccine. That will improve the vaccine hesitancy in this country and beyond. Also, although we have done some work on this already, we must do more on the roll-out of vaccines across the world, particularly for resource-poor countries. Finally, I agree with the principle of an international treaty on pandemics under the governance of the WHO. That is a good way to go. Obviously, we have to see the details of it, but the principle is sound.

In summary, I am grateful for the update on the meeting two weeks ago. What I wish to see in the last Council meeting between now and Christmas is more sanctions imposed on the Belarus authorities in respect of political prisoners and the hybrid attacks that are taking place on EU countries and more pressure brought to bear on Poland and Hungary to regularise their rule of law issues.

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