Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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31. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of the implementation of the EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement and its ratification by Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28083/18]

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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This question is on the EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement of which we are part. It is particularly important in the context of the reaction of the Trump Administration to immigration over the last week or so. Ireland could send a strong message to America on how to deal with countries in Latin America by negotiating and bringing this further. That would be important.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Government has strongly supported the conclusion of the EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement, which was signed by each member state and the Cuban Minister for Foreign Affairs in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council in December 2016. This was the first bilateral agreement to be signed between the EU and Cuba. Its signature marked a further positive step forward in relations between the EU and Cuba, which have improved considerably in recent years. The agreement is robust and comprehensive, consisting of three main pillars, namely, political dialogue, co-operation and sectoral policy dialogue and trade and trade co-operation. The core aim is to open channels of dialogue and co-operation between the EU and Cuba in order to assist the modernisation of the Cuban economy and society, strengthen human rights and democracy and work together to achieve the sustainable development goals.

In July 2017, the European Parliament voted to endorse the EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement and in May 2018, the first EU-Cuba joint council took place in Brussels during which implementation was discussed. While most of the agreement has been provisionally applied since November 2017, its full application will require ratification by the EU once all member states have completed their own internal legal procedures. As it stands, 14 member states have done so. The remaining member states, including Ireland, have yet to complete their internal procedures. I look forward to working with colleagues in the Oireachtas to complete Ireland’s internal legal procedures and work is under way towards this objective. I hope to have it completed before the end of the year.

The entry into force of the EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement and improvements in the EU-Cuba relationship will in turn have helpful consequences for the Ireland-Cuba relationship. Ireland has a positive relationship with Cuba which was further cemented by the successful visit of President Higgins to the island in February 2017. My assessment is that this agreement provides a solid framework and welcome opportunity to strengthen both EU-Cuba and Ireland-Cuba relations. I look forward to continued positive developments in the period ahead, including the completion by Ireland of the internal legal procedures necessary for ratification during 2018.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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I thank the Minister for his response. Unfortunately, it is very similar to a response given a number of months ago, I think in February and to a parliamentary question on the same issue as well. That in itself is quite worrying.

I am convenor of the Ireland-Cuba interparliamentary group. Last week we had one of the Cuban five, Fernando González, visit the Dáil together with the ambassador, Hugo Ramos. It was very important to them that we build and develop the links between Cuba and Ireland and between Cuba and the EU. In that context, the Minister says that he will complete the internal procedures in Ireland but that is what he said previously in response to this. When will we see some movement taking place in completing these procedures because that will be vitally important in ensuring that this goes ahead? As we have been looking at it since December 2016, when will we see an outcome from the process?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am anxious to do that as quickly as we can. I have committed in this answer to have it done before the end of the year. There are only a few weeks left before we break up for the summer. I understand that legal advice is required on this before I can bring a recommendation to Government. I assure the Deputy that I am anxious to do that as quickly as possible. The Government sees the improving and positive relationship with Cuba as something on which we want to build and we do not want to be seen to be one of the European countries that is delaying the full implementation of the potential of the agreement between the EU and Cuba. I want to make sure that does not happen but I also need to go through the proper legal procedures that must be undertaken to ratify it. I am happy to keep the Deputy up to date personally, given the role he plays in the bilateral relationship, and maybe I can get him a more detailed answer in terms of a date as early as possible after the summer.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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I thank the Minister again. In his response in January this year, he said that nine member states had ratified the agreement. There are now 14 but Ireland still is not among them. That is worrying and I am afraid that if I put in the same question again in November, I will get the same response. That is not acceptable at this stage. I welcome the possibility that there is additional information the Minister can bring forward to me and I will look at that. We need to see movement on this and we need to be sure that the end of the year will not slip further away.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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All I can say is that I will try to ensure that if this question comes up again towards the end of the year, we will have a more conclusive answer. It is important to say that only half of the EU member states have ratified the agreement. The other half have not and Ireland is in that half. I want to deal with this issue as quickly as we can and I will endeavour to come back to the Deputy with a more accurate date and reasons it is taking as long as it is in terms of legal advice.

Before Question Time this morning, I asked whether I could be given more accurate dates so I could respond more accurately in the Dáil. When I get the response to that, I might send it directly to the Deputy so he can, hopefully, provide his Cuban counterparts with a bit more reassurance in terms of a date that we can finalise ratification.