Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I believe I have eight minutes although five minutes have appeared on the clock. It is going down by the second. Five minutes is not enough time to discuss a long agenda so I will touch on a few key issues. One of the most significant decisions of the Council was the appointment of the leaders of the European institutions for the next term. I share the views expressed on Ursula von der Leyen. Our newly elected MEP will not vote for her as President of the Commission. In her reply will the Minister of State indicate whether our concern about Ursula von der Leyen's declaration at the outset of the Gaza war was expressed to her? Does she understand the depth of feeling? Was it simply a matter of being something we must do because it will give us the greatest edge in negotiations? I am interested to hear this. I welcome the appointment of António Costa, a man I have met a few times. He is the former socialist Prime Minister of Portugal. I see his name is down as Antonia in the script circulated but he is a man. He will be a very balanced chair of the Council.

I am interested to hear the perspective of the Minister of State on the appointment of the Estonian Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, as High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. My only concern is that, in any discussion we have had at the European affairs committee and in bilateral discussions, the international affairs focus of the Baltics is entirely focused on eastern Europe and the threat posed by Putin. This is perfectly understandable but it is very important that the High Representative would have a broader view, particularly on the neighbourhood, what is happening in the Middle East, what is happening in Africa and the impact of climate change and migration. I hope these matters will be teased out with the newly appointed High Representative.

We have seen the shocking ongoing carnage and the savagery of an attack on the largest children's hospital in Ukraine. Seeing innocent children, who are battling for their own survival with cancer and other ailments, having to be carted out having had their hospital bombed is beyond shocking. I hope the process to support Ukraine will continue. There is a legal dispute with regard to the utilisation of those funds that are euphemistically "immobilised" at present. Decisions have been made on the disposal of the interest on these funds at least. I am interested to hear whether there has been any progress on using the funds themselves. Is it only the interest that can be deployed? One proposal is to use the capital asset to draw down a further loan for Ukraine, to be paid off on the interest of the immobilised assets. This would be very welcome.

I want to mention briefly the absolutely shocking deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia and Belarus. It is scandalous. It has echoes of the darkest hours of European history in the Second World War. I do not know what we can do to keep focus on it. Every day, week and month these children are deprived of their heritage they become more alienated from their homeland.

That is a shocking situation which has to be addressed.

In the minute I have left, I will deal with the Middle East and Gaza. The horrors in Gaza continue. The attack last night by the Israel Defense Forces on tented refugees in Khan Younis is beyond shocking. It is a daily litany. We are inured to it now, but we cannot be. I hope we will continue to put on whatever pressure we can. The language being used in the statement on the EU-Israel association agreement, that it was "raised" by Spain and Ireland and that the outgoing high representative is "working to convene an ad hocassociation council meeting" is nebulous. We need to be clear that there is a consequence for Israel of its outrageous abuse of human rights and its now genocidal war on the Palestinian people.

I hope we will have a better forum to discuss European Council meetings than giving each of us five minutes to talk about them. It is not what was envisaged after the Lisbon treaty. We wanted proper debate before and after Council meetings to have democratic accountability. We still do not have it in this House.

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