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

On Deputy Durkan's question about the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, it is fair to say there was much consensus around the table at the European Council that the efforts we are making to assist both Turkey and Syria were the right ones. However, there was a definite degree of frustration that we were not able to get access to northern Syria for reasons linked to the conflict in that country.

In terms of the acquisition of new aircraft, a new aircraft is on order from the Air Corps. I am not across all the details, but I understand the new Airbus, which will not arrive for another year or two, will be able to carry 50 personnel. That will improve our strategic airlift capacity considerably, enabling us to get people to and from Lebanon, for example, or to evacuate citizens as needed in a way that we currently cannot. However, it will not be equipped to carry vehicles. It is a matter of debate as to whether that is a capacity we ourselves necessarily need. Perhaps it would make more sense to pool that capacity with other countries, which I understand is done from time to time.

Deputy Haughey asked about energy security and the Ostend meeting, which I attended yesterday. I joined the leaders of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway as well as the President of the European Commission at the summit. The aim of the event was to harvest the full energy and industrial potential of offshore wind in the north seas, which include the Irish Sea, the Celtic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, and make the wider maritime area an energy powerhouse for Europe. We signed the Ostend Declaration, which aims to turn this ambition into a reality. During the summit, I engaged with industry representatives and presided over a round-table discussion that focused on how best to deepen cross-country co-ordination and co-operation.

At the March European Council, leaders discussed energy issues and took stock of the progress made over the past year and the actions that have been taken to phase out dependency on Russian fossil fuels. These resolute actions have served to underpin the security of supply, reduce energy use and mitigate the impact of the dramatic price increases we have seen for businesses and consumers. Leaders also discussed the preparations for winter 2023-2024. There is a particular emphasis on making use of the joint purchase of gas, which will help with refilling our stores. The European Council also called for work to be taken forward on the revision of the EU's internal electricity market design, which is intended to make the market fully fit for a decarbonised energy system and to facilitate the uptake of renewable energy.

On Sudan, as Members will know, the situation there is very fluid and unpredictable. Up to 500 civilians have been killed and more than 3,700 have been wounded. There is heavy fighting, including air strikes in densely populated residential areas, and the death toll is feared to be significantly higher. Our embassy in Nairobi, which is accredited to Sudan, is in regular contact with the Irish citizens who have registered with them. Seventy-two Irish citizens and their dependants have to date been evacuated from Khartoum to Djibouti and Jordan, with the assistance of France, Spain, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. This was part of a wider EU effort, so I very much thank our security partners and the European Union for enabling us to get those citizens and their dependants out.

The consort team from the Department of Foreign Affairs have been on the ground in Djibouti since Sunday. They were supporting citizens and family members who have been evacuated. Officials in Dublin and Nairobi are continuing to support citizens and their families still in Sudan. We have deployed an emergency civil assistance team, ECAT, mission, comprising personnel from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Defence Forces, to assist Irish citizens in Sudan. The duration of the mission will depend on the progress that can be made, the security situation on the ground and decisions on extraction by partners.

The security of the team itself, our citizens and their dependants is paramount. We have to remember that as we work to bring our citizens and their dependants safely back to Ireland, 45 million Sudanese civilians remain in Sudan and are facing insecurity and crisis. The international community has widely condemned the outbreak of violence and has called for a return to the negotiating table. Both the African Union and the United Nations Security Council have issued strong statements in this regard, which are fully supported by Ireland.

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