Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is my point. This must also be the question for Europe. The General Affairs Council has looked at how we deal with existing members. We have the Article 7 procedure with Hungary, for example. As politics moves to the right and towards a more fascist agenda across Europe, we must look at how we deal with existing member states.

I represented Ireland in the Article 7 hearings on Hungary. I addressed two particular matters. I did so in agreement with my counterparts to ensure that we would cover the best possible spread of issues. I addressed Ireland's concerns around the national sovereignty protection office, which I regard as simply a vehicle for intimidating businesses and a range of actors not complying with the current dominant hegemony and narrative in Hungary. I also addressed the extremely serious concerns about the deliberate campaign by the Hungarian Government to equate homosexuality with paedophilia. My colleague was forced to deny this on the floor of the General Affairs Council. I do not believe him, but it is important that Ireland is saying this very strongly and that we are constantly committed to the basic values of the European Union, which are the democratic principles, the rule of law, the protection of fundamental rights, the protection of minorities and the absolute consistency on the application of humanitarian law. I reiterate that Ireland strongly believes that this is important in the context of Russia and Ukraine and also when it comes to Israel and Gaza. I assure the Deputies that in every interaction the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and I have, we are genuinely and consistently advancing this position on behalf of Ireland at every opportunity. I am happy to update the House concerning the details in this regard.

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