Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We can arrange that.

In his contribution to today’s debate, the Minister of State for European Affairs, Deputy Byrne, will provide further detail on the multiannual financial framework, MFF, including the question of possible new own resources for the EU budget, as well as further detail on migration, oceans and multilateralism. I will deal with all other issues.

I welcomed further discussions at the European Council on how the European Union can step up its support for Ukraine, including military assistance, play a constructive role in any potential peace process and contribute to security guarantees as part of a ceasefire agreement. The aim is to ensure that Ukraine enters any serious negotiation from a position of strength and that a lasting and just peace can be secured in line with the principles of the UN Charter. We are committed to continuing to support Ukraine as it exercises its inherent right to self-defence against Russia’s war of aggression. To date, the European Union has provided substantial military support to Ukraine to enable it to defend itself against Russia’s ongoing aggression. Ukraine requires our help now even more urgently.

Ireland is playing its part. We have contributed extensive political, humanitarian, non-lethal military and economic support to Ukraine since February 2022. Earlier this month, the Government approved €100 million of bilateral non-lethal military support for Ukraine. These funds will be used to invest in priority areas identified by the Ukrainian side, including non-lethal elements of air defence to be procured in Ukraine.

It is positive that member states are engaging on how the European Union can do more and are considering options and proposals to ensure Ukraine continues to get the military support it needs. Leaders reiterated their continued and unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. They agreed that a ceasefire can only take place as part of the process leading to a comprehensive peace agreement. It was agreed that any such agreement needs to be accompanied by robust and credible security guarantees for Ukraine that contribute to deterring future Russian aggression.

There was also agreement to continue work to progress the negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, work that Ireland strongly supports. European Union membership for Ukraine would also be an important part of broader security guarantees for Ukraine and its people.

This war and the threat posed by Russia is an existential issue for Ukraine and its neighbouring European Union member states. It is also a major challenge to the security of Europe. In this context, I welcome the publication of the White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030 on 19 March. On foot of this publication, the European Council had a preliminary discussion on the need to enhance Europe’s defence capabilities and readiness within the next five years. This was a key moment for these discussions and for European security, taking place in a rapidly changing context. European Union member states, including Ireland, are faced with a multitude of threats and challenges to our security that are acute and growing. It built upon discussions and conclusions at the special European Council in early March and President von der Leyen’s proposals on the financing to meet Europe’s defence needs.

My fellow European Union leaders and I recalled that a stronger and more capable Europe in the field of security and defence will contribute positively to global and transatlantic security. The White Paper puts forward options on how member states can make the investments necessary in the coming years in a collaborative way which strengthens European capacity for manufacturing defence equipment and reduces dependencies outside of the Union. It also incentivises member states to co-operate more on capability development and inter-operability. This very much aligns with the ambitious investment programme for our Defence Forces that is in place to implement the recommendations of the Commission on the Defence Forces and aligns fully with the programme for Government.

It is welcome that it has been clearly agreed that any proposals in this area are without prejudice to the specific character of the security and defence policies of member states. Ireland’s policy of military neutrality is not affected in any way and our position is fully understood and respected by our European partners. Member states remain in the driving seat in determining the capabilities they require nationally, and it remains a national prerogative to decide how to use capabilities developed jointly. Procuring collectively with other member states in no way impacts Ireland’s security policy choices. It is nothing new, as it is already provided for in the existing legal framework. We look forward to continuing our work on Ireland’s national defence spending and on how we can complement this by working with other member states on common projects to the benefit of us all, including the areas of cyber and maritime security, which are priority areas for Ireland.

The European Council met against the backdrop of extremely shocking developments on the ground in the Middle East. I have condemned the resumed Israeli airstrikes and new ground operation, which have brought more death, suffering and destruction to the people of Gaza and have breached the ceasefire. European Union leaders deplored the breakdown of the ceasefire in Gaza and called for an immediate return to the full implementation of the ceasefire-hostage release agreement, calling for the release of all hostages and a permanent end to hostilities. All the hostages should have been released by now.

The European Council also recalled the importance of unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale into and throughout Gaza. Ireland has been consistently clear that humanitarian aid into Gaza must resume immediately and at scale. United Nations and other humanitarian workers must be protected at all times as they carry out their lifesaving work.

A further important element of our discussions at the European Council was the Arab recovery and reconstruction plan for Gaza endorsed at the Cairo Summit on 4 March 2025. The European Union has a longstanding commitment to contribute to a co-ordinated international effort to rebuild Gaza and this plan represents a very strong basis for taking forward our engagement. I welcome that this has since been a focus of discussions between the High Representative and Vice President of the Commission, Kaja Kallas, and Arab partners in Cairo on 23 March, during which there was also categorical rejection of any displacement or expulsion of the Palestinian people out of their territory.

The European Council recalled its commitment to a lasting and sustainable peace based on the two-state solution and called on all parties to refrain from actions that undermine its viability.

Ireland has been clear that unprecedented settlement expansion in the last few years, displacement of Palestinian communities, and ongoing Israeli security operations are a threat to the viability of the two-state solution and are unacceptable. The European Council committed to continue supporting the Palestinian Authority and its reform agenda. In this context, I welcome the planned high-level dialogue with the Palestinian Authority in April. The European Union must continue to support the Palestinian Authority’s role and standing, and its ability to deliver services. It will be important to accelerate European Union funding for the Palestinian Authority, including the immediate release of the remaining emergency funds committed to last June.

We have also seen a renewed escalation in Lebanon. I commend the vital role being played by Irish peacekeepers in Lebanon and can confirm that they are safe and well. It is vital that all sides show restraint. At the European Council last week, European Union leaders reiterated their call on the parties to implement the terms of the 27 November 2024 ceasefire agreement and for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. I also welcome the European Council conclusions condemning the violence against Syrian civilians and calls for perpetrators to be held accountable for their actions. We also welcome the importance placed on the peaceful and inclusive transition in Syria during the Council discussion and the ninth Brussels conference on 17 March.

The March European Council also set important orientations on strengthening Europe’s economic competitiveness. A dynamic European economy is needed, both to improve the lives of our citizens and to provide the resources that will ensure we advance the Union’s shared political objectives, including its long-term economic security. Leaders agreed that 2025 should mark a step change in our collective action to boost competitiveness, strengthen the Single Market, promote quality jobs and ensure successful twin transitions, in line with agreed climate objectives. Our exchanges reinforced the strategic importance of closing the innovation and productivity gap with the European Union’s global competitors, consistent with the core emphasis of last September’s Draghi report. Leaders identified three priority areas on which we should move decisively forward: simplification and reducing regulatory and administrative burdens - basically cutting red tape; lowering energy costs; and mobilising private savings to unlock necessary investments. Simplification must be implemented at all levels to provide a clear and innovation-friendly regulatory framework, without undermining predictability, policy goals or the Single Market. Leaders specifically called for early progress on the target of reducing administrative burdens by at least 25% and 35% for small- and medium-sized businesses, and for adherence to better regulation principles throughout the legislative process.

Leaders also called for urgent stepping up of efforts to build a genuine energy union before 2030, including electrification through net-zero and low-carbon solutions, while ensuring long-term cross-border investment planning to fully integrate and interconnect the EU energy market. Last week’s meeting also acknowledged the importance of truly integrated capital markets in developing much stronger links between European savings - currently estimated at roughly €11.5 trillion - and necessary investments in productive capabilities. The savings and investment unit is now moving at pace in terms of a desire on behalf of quite a number of member states and the Commission to bring that to a conclusion.

Leaders welcomed the competitiveness compass presented by the new Commission at the end of January, which prepares the ground for up to 50 specific initiatives between this year and next under the new Commission work programme. Europe’s future prosperity must be based on the fundamentals of long-term productivity growth, and on ensuring that we create the right market conditions for high levels of investment and entrepreneurship in the decades ahead. This requires stronger mobilisation of both public and private resources through the European research and innovation system, supported by the deeper capital markets necessary to finance new and fast-growing firms at the technological frontier. I will continue to advocate strongly for unlocking the full potential of the Single Market as the foundation of European competitiveness.

Leaders also held a first exchange of views on the next multi-annual financial framework, MFF, the EU’s long-term budget. The Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, will address this matter in more detail in his remarks, including Irish priorities. These include not least the strategic importance of a strong and well-funded Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, ensuring a modern and sustainable EU agriculture sector; advancing shared climate, food-security, and biodiversity objectives; and supporting vibrant and prosperous rural communities across the Union. We will also be focusing on the importance of research and development through funding for the Horizon programme. This will be a very challenging agenda. Overall, in normal times, we are looking at about 1% of European income, in total, being the EU budget. There is a view that this is not sufficient for climate-change objectives, defence commitments of individual member states, cyber-security issues, agriculture and so on. This will be a most difficult debate from 2027 on to 2035. Ireland will have a key role in the second half of 2026 with the Presidency of the European Union. It will be very challenging to get agreement to collectively increase available resources to the Union so that it can deploy them for all of the priorities that have been identified. However, at the moment, the priorities have been identified and the cost of those do not reconcile with the revenue-generating capacity of the Union. All in all, it was an important and very busy meeting of the European Council, which addressed many of the pressing issues of the day and laid the groundwork for future important work across a range of areas important for our citizens.

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