Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to comment on the most recent meeting a fortnight ago. It is only right that Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine dominated proceedings and the agenda. That is completely appropriate and to be expected. I welcome the EU’s ongoing condemnation of the unnecessary conflict and the statement that the war would end tomorrow if the Russian Federation would withdraw and invoke a unilateral ceasefire. I welcome the EU’s condemnation on the mass forced deportation of civilians to Belarus and Russia. The deportation of children is particularly concerning. I welcome its condemnation of the destruction of the dam on the Dnipro river. Not only was it a massive humanitarian and ecological catastrophe but it also put at risk the cooling system of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

I endorse the increase in the European peace facility funding and welcome that the EU miliary training mission is ongoing. I commend our own Defence Force personnel who were in Cyprus some months ago to train Ukrainian troops how to de-mine and those who went to Germany last week to train Ukrainian troops on tactical combat casualty care.

I welcome the part about accountability. When dealing with authoritarian states, the internal checks and balances that would be in a democratic country do not exist so it is important that there are external checks and balances. I welcome the EU support for the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague and the register that has been established in relation to the destruction of Ukrainian property so that appropriate reparations can be repaid after the conflict.

More broadly, regionally, I am concerned about the Black Sea grain initiative. It is up for renewal next week and there is no guarantee it will be rolled over. I welcome Türkiye’s statement that even if Russia does withdraw from the deal, which is hugely important for food security, that at least Türkiye has undertaken to conduct security operations and to escort the ships through the sea lanes through the Black Sea and on to Istanbul. That is a good thing.

I note NATO’s recent addition of Finland and its likely addition of Sweden in the not-too-distant future. NATO can do whatever it wants, it is not of great relevance to us, but it underscores to me the complete strategic failure of Putin’s initiative in the last 18 months. Not only has there been massive tactical defeat on the battlefield but he has been completely outperformed, outfoxed and outmanoeuvred tactically too.

On the read-out from the EU Council report, I do not know whether it was discussed at the table but there does not seem to have been concern expressed on the internal instability in Russia. We should at least have a contingency plan in place to deal with a very large nuclear arms state which has had a number of upheavals even in the last decades. The EU, and Ireland, should have plans in place to deal with any downstream consequences.

Finally, I am glad to see China featured on the agenda. Ireland’s policy and that of the EU are quite aligned that China is a partner, a competitor and a rival. I share the EU’s concerns about tensions in the Taiwan Strait. I think we are right to oppose any unilateral change in the status quo by force or coercion. That is completely appropriate but I wish to raise two particular issues. Ireland did have a trade office in Taipei under the EU umbrella up to 2012. I understand it was wound down for financial cost reasons. That was ten years ago and I do not think the same excuse holds. I would favour Ireland re-opening the office that was there. About 15 EU countries are represented in the same building there and I do not see why Ireland is not represented. It is entirely consistent with our one-China policy as well. We have multiple trade consulates and embassies in Canada, in different states there, for instance as well as in different states in the USA and Australia. I do not see why we cannot have two offices in China, one in Beijing and one in Taipei. We have done so in the past and I presume the same principle was observed and applied a couple of decades ago when we opened it up.

Taiwan is trying to secure observer status to the World Health Organization. Ireland should support that. Taiwan was instrumental in providing PPE to Ireland when we needed it most at the height of the pandemic and asked for nothing in return. It has a lot to offer the WHO and it is something Ireland should support. Those are two issues Ireland should consider, namely reopening the trade office that we had in Taipei until 2012 and also supporting observer status for Taiwan in the WHO.

The most recent EU Council meeting was a qualified success. There was some moderate progress and I look forward to the next EU Council meeting later in the summer.

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