Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As the US Administration moves to the authoritarian right I think all in this House agree that it is vitally important that we strengthen solidarity across Europe and that we strengthen our links with Britain and between Britain and the EU. Given our unique bilateral relationship with Britain and the fact that we now have a Labour Prime Minister in Britian, we will all agree it is especially important that Ireland strengthens those links with Britian.

The Taoiseach said that on 27 January, in his phone call with Keir Starmer, they spoke about Ukraine and Gaza but so much has changed since then. We see the Trump Administration tearing up the international rules-based order, undermining and destroying international human rights protections and environmental accords, pulling out of the World Health Organization and the Paris Agreement, sanctioning officials from the International Criminal Court, promoting ethnic cleansing in Gaza and now seeking to negotiate a deal with Russia over the heads of the people of Ukraine and sidelining the EU. My family background is Czech. The Czech people know about what Munich accords can mean and what they can lead to. There is desperate fear and distress across the EU and across Ukraine in particular as we approach the dreadful anniversary of the invasion just three years ago and the appalling devastation we have seen across Ukraine. Does the Taoiseach propose that at the next meeting with Keir Starmer, which I think he said will be in March at the next British-Irish Summit, he will speak to the Prime Minister about how best to ensure that Britain and the EU can stand firm in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and ensure that any negotiations or peace agreement is not done over their heads and without their input or the input of the EU?

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