Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies for their questions. At the outset, to be very clear, the Government has no proposals to apply for NATO membership or join any military alliance or mutual defence pact. I am happy to give that assurance in the Chamber today. We are, however, a NATO partner for peace, we are involved in the European Union's battle groups, and we are part of the European permanent structured co-operation, PESCO, arrangement. The events in Sudan demonstrate why it is particularly important for a small country like Ireland to have security partners, because we relied on EU mechanisms to assist us to evacuate our citizens. No small country, or even no big or medium-sized country, can do these things on its own. The fact that we had the assistance of France and Spain made a big difference. It is one of the many reasons security co-operation is in the interests of our citizens.

I join others in expressing my solidarity with the people of Sudan and what they are facing at the moment. In relation to our own citizens, the Tánaiste gave us a briefing today at Cabinet about the efforts that are being undertaken to enable Irish citizens and their immediate family members – husbands, wives and children – to be evacuated to Ireland should they wish to do so. We think there are about 150 still in Sudan, mainly in the Khartoum area. Some want to be evacuated and some do not, but that work is still ongoing.

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