Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach is no longer present in the Chamber but I am aware this will be his last occasion to attend a meeting of the European Council as Taoiseach. I wish to mark the occasion and state that he has served his country very well in that regard. I have no doubt he will attend further Council meetings in another guise in the future. It is interesting that the issues dominating the agenda for this Council meeting are certainly not those he would have expected when he began his term as Head of Government two and a half years ago. The brutal invasion of Ukraine changed all. It has changed the European landscape, perhaps permanently so.

Next week's agenda is still dominated by Ukraine and Russia, and the energy and economic consequences that affect everybody living not only on the Continent of Europe but internationally.

I will mention a couple of the issues that will be debated, including the oil embargo that took effect last Monday. The cap on Russian oil suggested and now imposed, not only by the EU but other like-minded states, is $60 a barrel. I understand why that figure was picked. The EU has a contradictory double aim. One is to ensure that the tightest possible squeeze, in financial terms, is put on Russia to deny it, as far as we can, the capacity to wage war against Ukraine. The other is to ensure that there is an adequate fuel supply for the world. These are countervailing objectives that are sometimes hard to get into balance. The idea of the embargo was to ensure that Russian oil is restricted on the international markets, but the fears were that insurance and other European-provided supports would mean it would be impossible for Russia to sell oil anywhere and, therefore, the $60 cap came into being. Ukraine believes it is far too high and others argued against it. Further important decisions need to be made because there is an imperative, at the same time as squeezing Russia, to ensure that the citizens of Europe have access to fuel and heating for the winter months to come and beyond. We will need to return to this issue because it is quite clear to everybody that Putin's brutal war is not likely to come to an early end.

I will also mention the decision of Hungary and its Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, to veto or delay the loan facility for Ukraine. Ukraine does has not have the capacity to raise its own taxes. For Hungary and Viktor Orbán to use that as a weapon in his own difficulties is quite shocking. We talked about the rule of law. There has to be some accounting. Member states are either signed up to the values of a common European Union or they are not. The notion that the will of the overwhelming majority of the people of Europe can be thwarted by one person acting vicariously, as Viktor Orbán has, is entirely unacceptable.

I will also mention the meeting in Tirana yesterday. The Joint Committee on European Union Affairs met a variety of ambassadors representing all the applicant states. The Commission's enlargement package report, published in October, stated that the Commission recommended Bosnia and Herzegovina be granted candidate status. This was to be considered at the Council meeting this week. I did not see any reference to that decision in the Taoiseach's speech. The Minister of State might indicate during his contribution whether it is proposed that Bosnia and Herzegovina be given candidate status tomorrow. From talking to ambassadors from a variety of countries, especially off-piste, there is a growing frustration and alienation from European ideals because of constant delays.

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