Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will try to gallop though the broad list of issues that arose at the European Council meeting in the five minutes I have. Needless to say, Ukraine is the fist issue. It has been the dominant issue at all European Council meetings since the barbaric invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing assault on the Ukrainian people by Russia. We need to take stock constantly of what we are doing to support Ukraine. We will not be supplying military capacity to Ukraine but one of the issues covered in the Council meeting was the provision of critical infrastructure support.

Perhaps in his response, the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, will tell us exactly what Ireland will be providing. The Council has asked for such things as mobile heating stations, power generators, power transformers and high-voltage lighting equipment. These are the sorts of humanitarian and community supports we can provide. Are we doing so? The Minister of State might set out exactly what we are doing.

The Council also asked member states to intensify contingency planning for displaced persons. We hoped towards the end of last year that the dreadful onslaught against the civilian population had abated but it has intensified. Infrastructure critical to the provision of power, heat and light, as well as hospitals and schools, are being demolished by the ongoing unjustified and unconscionable attacks by Russia. We need to be able to provide for people who are displaced in that context. An EU-wide position must be clearly set out. I hope that is happening.

In respect of accountability for war crimes and support for the International Criminal Court, the Tánaiste talked about a special war crimes tribunal. It was suggested that Russian assets that have been frozen internationally may be deployed in the rebuilding of Ukraine. How close are we to achieving that? How legal is it? Where are we in that respect? It has been talked about for a long time.

Energy policy was another major topic of the Council meeting. There has been talk of finalising a new Council regulation enhancing solidarity. How will that impact Ireland? We have limited gas interconnection. Our gas interconnectors are with the United Kingdom, which obviously is not an EU member state. The issue of gas storage has also been urged upon us. There is limited capacity for gas storage in Ireland. These are common European objectives. How are they to be fulfilled in Ireland?

In respect of security and defence, the Council determined in its conclusion that the EU will take on much more responsibility for its own security. The Council has called on the Commission to present a proposal for a European defence investment programme. Where does that leave us? There is a feeling that a European defence structure is being created by stealth. In fact, it is not a matter of stealth for the many countries that advocate for and want such a structure. We seem to be going along with it in an unstructured way.

See this speech in context