Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I appreciate that. The Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, will take over.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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Since the European Council last met, another deadline in the Northern Assembly has come and gone, with the DUP still refusing to re-enter the Executive. Ministers can no longer hold office and take decisions to support the people in the North. The DUP has cited concerns about the protocol, but in reality it is holding democracy to ransom. There is no justification for putting Stormont on ice while talks about the protocol continue. While the DUP refuses to allow politicians in the North to do their jobs, ordinary people pay the price as they are abandoned at the time of an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis. Ordinary workers and families are worried about paying their bills, keeping the lights on and weathering the cost of the cost-of-living crisis. They cannot afford to be held to ransom by the DUP refusing to re-enter the Executive to work on protecting hard-pressed people from rising prices. Across the North, people want to see their political leaders working together to tackle the big issues, such as investing in the health system and ensuring people can pay their energy bills, not political stunts and brinkmanship that grabs headlines but ultimately achieves nothing. The DUP must get back into the Executive without any more delay or posturing. It must accept the outcome of May’s election and get back to work. Issues around the protocol exist, but they can be resolved through dialogue, partnership and a genuine commitment to ensuring the needs of people in the North are met. This is a time for political leadership and a genuine commitment to delivering solutions, not empty stunts and inflammatory rhetoric.

I believe our European partners are determined to resolve the issues around the protocol. I hope the Taoiseach impressed on the leaders at the European Council the importance of stable governance in the North and the need for the British Government to stop placating the DUP’s antics and to genuinely deliver for the people in the North. It is crucial now that the British Government engages in good faith with constructive negotiations with the European Union and that it abandons the reckless approach of the past.

The protocol protects all-Ireland trade, the Good Friday Agreement, communities and business in the North from the damage caused by Brexit. Indeed, many businesses have spoken of the positive effects of the protocol, as it gives them the best of both worlds through access to the British and EU markets. Many businesses have experienced how the protocol continues to help in the creation of jobs and attracting investment. While it is not perfect, issues around the protocol can be resolved through good faith discussions. Indeed, in the current economic climate, the protocol must be built upon and protected rather than undermined. There is no credible alternative to the protocol, and those who attack it while providing no alternative are absolutely fooling no one.

It is to be hoped the Taoiseach made it clear to our European colleagues at the European Council that support for the protocol in Ireland is clear, steadfast and crucial for protecting the North’s interests. I would also be interested to hear whether he made clear the need for the DUP to end its appalling boycott of the North’s democratic institutions and whether he secured support for the restoration of the political institutions in the North and the formation of an Executive that can make politics work for everyone in the North. I hope he secured commitments from European colleagues that they will continue to work on constructive solutions around the protocol and to insist the British Government and the DUP end their bad faith posturing and deliver solutions that genuinely meet the needs of the people in the North.

I also welcome the Council’s ongoing support for the people of Ukraine amid their continuing struggle to bring an end to the brutal Russian invasion and partial occupation of their country. While reports of recent and ongoing Ukrainian military success, particularly in Kherson, lend themselves to the belief that the conflict is moving towards a scenario where we may well see a route emerging to a position where both sides may be able to engage in negotiations, I believe this remains some way off at the moment. However, every effort must be made to push for negotiations to bring the brutal invasion, the occupation and war to an end. Undoubtedly, there is growing pressure on Vladimir Putin as a result of the many military setbacks suffered by his forces since the Ukrainian counteroffensive began. Unfortunately, the failure of EU leaders to come to an agreement to address the impacts of the global energy crisis on the Continent lays bare the soft underbelly of the western strategy of support of Ukraine.

Ukraine’s military successes have made Russia more reliant on and likely to engage in the hybrid flank of war effort, a major aspect of which is predicated on the Russian belief that the EU and the wider western world lacks the ability or will to sustain the ongoing economic, social and political impact of its support for Ukraine. The ability of the Russian leader to instrumentalise energy and food supplies along with the fate of refugees and their impact on the EU, not to mention the wider world, remains a major concern. In particular, the failure of the EU leaders to secure agreement at the European Council on the issue of price caps on energy supplies effectively undermines the Ukrainian war effort and offers succour to Putin in the longer term.

On our own national situation, the slipshod ad hocery, so to speak, we have witnessed in the Government’s failure to put in place a tangible and workable plan to accommodate the well-advertised number of refugees who were expected from Ukraine into Ireland is a disgrace. The Government and its supporters want to talk up the supposed benefits of undermining Irish neutrality in terms of the military role Ireland could play in the conflict in Ukraine, yet it cannot accomplish its part in the key role asked of the EU by Ukraine, which is preventing Russia from using those Ukrainian citizens forced to flee in the face of Russian aggression as an instrument to undermine the political will of the EU to continue the scale of its support for Ukraine. Now that Russia has sanctioned 52 Irish politicians, will the Irish Government finally come to the realisation that we have to send a clear, strong message to the Russians and Putin by terminating the Russian ambassador’s existence here in this State and finally make the decision to expel Yuri Filatov from Ireland?

While the EU is firmly focused on the external threat of Russia to EU democracy, it appears to be much less concerned at the ongoing threat to the values of democracy across the EU by the actions of individual member states in the use of spyware on EU citizens. That is according to the senior MEP charged with leading the inquiry into the use of Pegasus spyware. Sophie in ‘t Veld has accused the European Commission of ignoring the grave threat to democracy posed by the use of spyware by governments of EU member states and the failure of members to co-operate with her inquiry.

The investigation has revealed that the phones of the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and other key officials, opposition figures and journalists across Europe were being monitored. The Commission remains silent on the threat. According to Ms in 't Veld, this has created a climate of lawlessness around the use of spyware on citizens within the EU. Is the Irish Government one of the EU governments that has refused to co-operate with the investigation into the use of Pegasus, the hacking software sold by the Israeli surveillance company NSO Group, and other equivalent software?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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All European debate is still dominated by the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation. It remains critical that Russia is called out at every international forum, whether a meeting of the EU Council, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which recently met in Kigali and brought together parliamentarians from every nation, or the G20. Russia must be isolated as the sole aggressor responsible for the untold hardship being endured by the people of Ukraine and by the entire world in terms of food shortages, fuel poverty and the massive inflation that is impacting citizens here and across the globe. The indiscriminate missile attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure, designed to bludgeon the Ukrainian people into submission, are quite unconscionable. They are pushing our Continent and the world closer to a full-scale war beyond the borders of Ukraine.

What happened yesterday evening in Poland should send shock waves through all of us and every nation. A miscalculation, mistake or malfunction can easily set in train unimaginable consequences. That is the position we are in.

The liberation of parts of Donetsk have revealed many more potential Russian war crimes and crimes against humanity. This is unprecedented in Europe, our Continent, since the end of the Second World War. I also want to mention the sanctioning of 52 Irish politicians that was announced yesterday. Our Taoiseach, most of the Cabinet, many of us on these benches and our speaker, our Ceann Comhairle, are not welcome in Russia. They are banned from Russia. How can we have an ambassador down the road who tells the elected representatives of the Irish people they are not welcome? What is the response to that? We must have a robust and clear response because that is an assault on our democratic right to function as the voice and parliament of the people of Ireland.

One of the clear impacts of Russian aggression has been and remains the energy crisis. Irish citizens, like all others, are struggling to ensure their homes are heated and energy bills can be afforded in the coming months as the temperature plummets. While I welcome the actions of the Government to date in seeking to mitigate the increased cost of fuel and everything else and to support struggling households and businesses, more will have to be done. That is for another debate. It is important that a greatly accelerated plan of action on a pan-European level must be implemented to address security and affordability in the supply of energy and a speedy agreement on a windfall tax on those companies, those large corporate entities, who have seen huge profit increases on the basis of an international crisis.

There are many issues demanding attention at European Council level. I give out on every occasion. These debates are intended to report back from European Council meetings and five-minute time limits for Members are ludicrously small. I will raise one issue of real importance. There are many other issues, as I said, demanding attention, and humanitarian catastrophes can slip down the agenda and not receive the focus they deserve. I raise the issue of Somalia, which today is experiencing yet another devastating humanitarian crisis. Millions of people are in danger of starvation and death. The Somali refugee crisis is one of the most significant mass displacements in the world. Drought in the Horn of Africa, the impact of climate change, has made a disastrous situation even worse. Its neighbouring countries, Kenya and Ethiopia, have endured an incredible change in climate that is causing food cost inflation that is disastrous. I ask the Minister of State to ensure these important issues are also kept in focus as millions of people struggle to exist.

Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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As we know, there has been political instability in Westminster for many weeks now. It has delayed negotiations between the UK and the EU on the implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol. As a result, there has been no progress regarding efforts to put a functioning Executive in place in Stormont. Thankfully, it seems the appointment of Rishi Sunak as British Prime Minister has brought this instability to an end, a point put eloquently by Matt Hancock in the jungle on "I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!" A change of British Prime Minister on this occasion has indeed been a genuine chance to reset the relationship between Dublin and London. That certainly seems to be the case.

The attendance of the British Prime Minister at the recent meeting of the British-Irish Council was significant and sent out all the right signals as regards future relationships on these islands. Thankfully, the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Chris Heaton-Harris MP, has listened to all parties and has extended the deadline for the calling of fresh elections to the Stormont Assembly. This effectively puts off a possible election until 13 April next at the latest. All sides now seem to be agreed that there should be a negotiated settlement to the protocol issue and that genuine concerns need to be addressed. The main issues now seem to be checks on goods moving from Britain to Northern Ireland and the role of the European Court of Justice. We must inject a new determination to resolve these problems, to compromise where it is needed and to get these technical negotiations finalised as soon as possible.

I also draw attention to the dire situation unfolding in the Horn of Africa and, in particular, Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Eritrea, Sudan and South Sudan. Those countries are already prone to ongoing conflict. The region is now experiencing a five-season drought caused by climate change, resulting in acute food insecurity and malnutrition, and the associated spread of diseases such as pneumonia, measles and cholera. The war in Ukraine is also taking its toll given that the global supply of grain and fertiliser has been curtailed, which is especially impacting the Horn of Africa. Some 90% of wheat supplies in the Horn of Africa come from Russia and Ukraine. Global increases in the commodity prices of food and energy are making things even worse. In excess of 36 million people are experiencing severe drought in southern Ethiopia, northern Kenya and Somalia. It is estimated this translates into severe food insecurity and malnutrition for more than 20 million people in the area. In southern Sudan, in excess of 8 million people are experiencing serious food insecurity. The risk of famine is acute. Millions are fleeing these areas in search of food and water, thus increasing ongoing conflicts even further. Many parts of the region experienced famine conditions in 2010 and 2011, at which time the global community said this could not be allowed to happen again.

It is happening again and it appears to many that the world is turning a blind eye to the unfolding catastrophe. How should Ireland and the global community respond to this humanitarian disaster? For a start, Ireland must be to the forefront in highlighting this disaster both in the EU and at the UN, including at the UN Security Council. We should emphasise in particular the role played by climate change. In addition, humanitarian aid should be increased substantially by donor organisations in these countries. Our own overseas development aid, ODA, budget now totals €1.2 billion, the highest on record and we must also continue to increase our funding package for this region both to Irish NGOs and to international aid organisations. Last month Dóchas, Trócaire and Concern made a presentation to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence on the situation in the Horn of Africa. Their reports from the region were shocking. These NGOs have since outlined a programme of action to tackle these problems, action for the short term and action for the longer term. I hope the Government can respond positively to this proposed action plan.

The European Council continues to express strong solidarity with Ukraine. This week, Russia again bombarded several cities and power plants with missile strikes thus endangering the civilian population. Recent events in Kherson gave us all a little hope that Ukraine can successfully fight back. The retreat of Russian forces eastwards across the Dnipro river and the raising of the Ukrainian flag on government buildings in the previously annexed Kherson have given everybody a great morale boost. I hope that this setback will lead ordinary Russians to start to question the wisdom of the so-called special military exercise and Putin's regime generally.

As winter arrives, Europe must continue to stand resolutely with Ukraine. An eighth round of sanctions has been agreed and these need to be rigorously enforced. Further effective sanctions should be considered as the need arises. I understand the establishment of a military assistance mission for Ukraine was further considered by EU defence ministers this week. Ireland is committed to participating in this mission. Our expertise in de-mining and on improvised explosive devices has been talked about. The Minister should keep the House fully informed of developments in this regard. Ireland has supported Ukraine in other ways. We have given €20 million in humanitarian aid, as well as a €66 million commitment for the European peace facility. We have also given a commitment of €3 million to the International Criminal Court, which is establishing a case that war crimes have been committed by Russia in Ukraine.

As we know, last Friday the Supreme Court issued its judgment to the effect that the proposed method to ratify the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement, CETA, between EU and Canada was unconstitutional. In short it ruled that CETA cannot be approved by the Dáil under Article 29.5.2° of the Constitution. The Joint Committee on European Union Affairs considered this agreement in detail. My view was that Ireland had nothing to fear from the investor court system. There seemed to be much scaremongering in this regard, including exaggerated claims concerning the so-called "chill effect". I also believe it would not be practicable to renegotiate this agreement, involving as it would the European Commission and Canada as well as all 27 EU member states in respect of their ratification procedures.

Free trade is good for this country as a small open economy. The judgment indicates that a referendum on the agreement is not a legal requirement for ratification. In these circumstances I do not believe we should have one. It seems to me that a way forward is to change arbitration legislation in order that the High Court has powers to decline to give effect to decisions of the CETA tribunal where they are seen to compromise the constitutional identity of State or obligations to legislate for EU law.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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Over recent weeks everybody has had growing concern about the situation in Ukraine. It took a very nasty turn over the last 24 hours with an enormous bombardment across Ukraine of missiles. One of the missiles, whether it came from Russia or Ukraine, landed in Poland. We should be very seriously concerned about the advancement of Russia's war. I am also concerned that Irish politicians have been placed on this list and we need to deal with that. The Government will have the support of everyone in the House to do something firm over what Russia intends to do regarding parliamentarians from these Houses who clearly stand with democracy and who clearly have a voice to be heard in respect of that.

The big issue with the war in Ukraine and all these developments is security across Europe, particularly food security and energy security. We need to have a co-ordinated effort across the European Union to deal with these issues. The previous speaker mentioned CETA. There is an element of international trade and elements which are blocking that and are causing issues in that regard. Of course, many people have concerns about CETA and particularly the impact the investment court may have. We also need to deal with that. Developments in the past few days on both these issues concern us all and should concern the Government greatly. We need to ensure that we provide a solution to it. Clearly, I think the solution that has been set out by the courts is that we need a referendum on CETA. That needs to happen as quickly as possible and Government needs to move to do that.

The issues of food security and energy security in the European Union relate to an issue raised by another colleague here in regard to the Horn of Africa, namely, the impact that climate change is having on the entire world and our need to move away from fossil fuels including gas and to have alternatives. Each country in Europe cannot do that on its own; we have to work together to do that. We need co-ordinated efforts across the entire European Union not just to resolve the problems that we have with own addiction to fossil fuels, but to resolve the problems the entire world has with global warming.

Some changes have happened in the recent months internationally. The election in Brazil gives many people hope that there might be a change in respect of that. The lungs of the Earth, the rainforests, are somewhat safer than they were some time ago. Many people also took great hope from the elections in the US that things may be moving in the correct direction. Within the European Union we have had a number of elections recently. Italy and Hungary seem to be going in the opposite direction. We need to be firm over where the world politics needs to go. We need to look after people rather than vested interests. We need to look after the needs of our communities across the entire globe rather than looking after the needs of corporate interests. For too long that has been the play. It has been about the big corporations and what they need delivered for them rather than what needs to be delivered for the people.

Overall, the war in Europe and the situation with global warming are issues that need to be addressed in a co-ordinated fashion across the entire European Union.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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I will begin where the previous Government speaker finished, which was on the recent High Court ruling on CETA. Government Members have said that there is no legal requirement for a referendum. However, enough has happened in terms of public discussion and public discourse. There is probably an ethical and civic requirement. If this is to become law, perhaps there is a requirement for us to have that conversation and a referendum is certainly one way for us to do that. While there might not be a legal requirement, there is certainly a civic requirement. In a country, politicians have responsibility to convince the public. I would hold a very different view in believing there is an ethical and civic requirement for a referendum before we even attempt to ratify the parts of CETA including the investment courts. When the Deputy says that is nothing to worry about, I note that some parts of Romania, for example, are currently being sued by a corporation.

Even Scotland was sued by the alcohol industry over a decade ago. There is definitely a civic requirement for a referendum and we in the Social Democrats are pushing and supporting that call.

In terms of my discussion around the post-European Council statement, I want to take a look at some of the Taoiseach’s comments. There is a confluence of crises happening that requires leadership and Ireland is in a unique position to provide strong moral leadership and to take a step out to the side. Hostilities are incredibly heightened at the minute and there is a responsibility on us and potentially on others to step outside the hostilities. While we condemn Russia's horrid invasion of Ukraine in the strongest terms, we saw last night how quickly tensions can rise. I note for example that Germany's defence ministry last night was very quick to suggest sending aircraft to patrol Polish air space because the assumption that there were Russian rockets. Indeed, they probably were Russian rockets but perhaps they came from Ukraine and went into Poland. We need to be extraordinarily careful. We need to step away from this jump to militarisation. There is a role for Ireland here. Our position as a country is that we have never invaded another and that, along with our role on the UN Security Council, means that we can be the people who step forward in the call for diplomatic solutions in the immediate term because the world is in a precarious place.

Ireland must and will continue to support refugees and we must overcome the equity issues that arise in regards accommodation. It was announced yesterday for example in my own constituency of Dublin Central that it is likely that 600 Ukrainian refugees will be coming into Drumcondra and East Wall. In inner city Dublin and in Dublin Central as a whole, we have played a massive part in welcoming and in being enhanced by the people who have come to us from Ukraine. We also need supports to help the people who came as refugees. That support must come in the form of childcare places and extra provision for education. Everybody is playing the part in our collective effort. I have not seen the level of hostility that has been talked about elsewhere, but there are basic human needs for which we needs supports, in the areas of education, childcare places and in access to the jobs market. That can foster this continuing spirit of collective endeavour that we have seen.

Energy bills have doubled in the EU capitals according to new data. The EU is in a deep crisis when it comes to energy this winter. That will further exacerbate the level of poverty that already existed in the European Union. I will make the point in all statements before and after every EU Council that poverty is the single greatest threat to the European Union. I believe at the moment one in five people in European Union are living in poverty. If people start to feel cold, both in real and philosophical terms, and if they do not feel the warmth of the EU, that will be a real threat. We have seen that with Brexit, where the communities that were left behind because of advancement were the same ones that went out and voted against being part of the European Union. If we are to have a place it needs to be to confront the everyday lived experiences of people within our borders.

I will briefly touch on COP27. The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, said that loss and damage is the priority at COP27 and I endorse those that. It has to be. With that principle in mind, we have to focus on the Horn of Africa. This issue has already been touched on by speakers such as Deputy Haughey and others. The drought, famine and human tragedy that are unfolding in the Horn of Africa at present are unimaginable. We have to both play our part and stand forward and demonstrate as much leadership as possible because the tragedy that is happening there is unlike anything we have seen, certainly in my lifetime. We need to support the charities that are working on the ground and that are getting whatever resources into those communities so that they can access water and food. We are seeing child loss of life on a scale that is simply tragic. Though so many other issues are currently happening, I can think of no greater role that we can play than to be people who are standing up for those who are in need in the Horn of Africa and I hope that we can do that.

I wanted to touch on Italy’s recent elections and rule of order principles, but I can talk about that next time.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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The next slot is an eight-minute Government slot and Deputy Leddin is sharing with Deputy Cathal Crowe.

Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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I think Deputy Crowe is in a committee so I will keep going and if I use the eight minutes so be it. I will begin by adding my voice to those of other Members across the House, such as Deputies Howlin, Gannon and Haughey, who made strong statements about the dire situation in the Horn of Africa. We are beholden as a Parliament, a democracy and as a developed country to do everything we can that is within our power. I think the Minister of State will agree and I think the Taoiseach agrees also.

I commend Deputy Howlin on his strong speech with regard to the news today that Russia has essentially made 52 Members of the Oireachtas personae non grata. I do not know who these 52 are, but it is outrageous that another state would treat a sovereign nation such as Ireland in this way. I want to add my voice to Deputy Howlin’s condemnation.

The Taoiseach in his statement mentioned COP27 and I raised it with in during Questions on Policy or Legislation yesterday. He showed leadership on the international stage in showing how we must deal with climate change. He said we do not have a minute to lose and I absolutely agree with him, as I think Members across this House also do. The Government has shown leadership at home and the Oireachtas has generally shown leadership at home. I chair the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action and as best we can we have sought to achieve a consensus approach to what is necessary. This Oireachtas can be proud that we agreed quite overwhelmingly to bring in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021. Nobody said it was going to be easy and we have set ourselves an incredibly difficult target of reducing emissions by 51%, based on a 2018 baseline, by 2030. We are finding now as we move into the review of the climate action plan in the next few weeks just how hard it is. If you look at the numbers across every sector, such as agriculture, energy, transport or any other sector, the numbers do not lie, and they make it difficult.

We are in a situation where we have set ourselves ambitious targets but are in danger of getting caught up in the rhetoric and perhaps patting ourselves on the back for setting such ambitious targets. What matters is achieving them. When the climate action plan comes out in a few weeks’ time, it will show a refined path towards 2030, but there will be a lot in there that will be quite difficult. All Members of this House have experience in their communities of where climate action is difficult because if you take a simple example of how we use our road space, we will have to reallocate a lot of our road space away from private vehicles to modes that can carry more people and that can do it in a more sustainable ways, such as buses, cycle lanes and wider footpaths. Any time you try to do this in any community in this country there is uproar because you are saying to the community that what they know and understand will change and that it has to change.

I fear that we are not doing a good job as an Oireachtas in communicating why we need climate action at the local level. We have put ourselves in a position where any of these issues in any town, village or city in Ireland can be used as a wedge issue and can be exploited. Ultimately, if that is the approach we take, we will not achieve the emissions cuts that we need to achieve. It beholds all Members of this House, as well as the Upper House, to figure out how we can do the community engagement to achieve climate action at the local level because it is not easy.

During the week, an important climate project was announced in my neck of the woods and it is linked to the broader European agenda. Members will know about the trans-european transport network, TEN-T, across Europe. In Limerick, the Minister announced just this week that we are going to reopen the Limerick to Foynes railway line.

This is an historic step in Irish transport. The Acting Chair knows haulage better than perhaps anyone in the House and I would be interested in chatting with her about this. Much of the haulage that is currently on our roads can be put on rail and carried more sustainably. Dublin Port is fairly choked with traffic. Just as there is for Rosslare, Cork and Waterford ports, there is an opportunity for Shannon Foynes Port to develop as a cargo port. This rail project will, in time, be seen as a significant shift in how we do haulage.

Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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I wish to speak briefly about Iran, which was addressed at the recent European Council meeting. I send my solidarity to the ordinary citizens of Iran, especially the women who are putting themselves at risk in challenging appalling human rights abuses. There needs to be a stronger response from the EU, not just on this issue, but on Iran's continuing support for Russia in the latter's brutal assault on Ukraine. The EU needs to go further to get the parties to that war around the table. There needs to be an agreed solution and that starts with a conversation. The EU must use its influence to make this happen. We saw last night how matters could escalate. Warmongering needs to stop. I implore the Minister of State to put equal effort into seeking peace.

The ongoing war has affected energy security and energy prices. The recent meeting proposed several solutions, which must be progressed immediately. We need a windfall tax on excess energy prices, we need voluntary joint purchases of gas and we need to address the decoupling of gas and electricity markets. The market approach is not working. It is feathering the nests of multinational energy companies at the expense of ordinary workers and families, in particular older people. Small businesses are dying on their feet and need a lifeline now.

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the recommitment of EU member states' solidarity with Ukraine as it continues to defend itself against annexation and I welcome the recent withdrawal of Russian forces from one of its regions. I also welcome the Council's intention to explore how the assets legally seized from Russian entities that may have sought to profit from the imperial actions of their President can be used to support Ukraine's reconstruction.

I wish to discuss the issues of energy and the economy, in particular conclusion 18(d), in which reference is made to calling on the Commission to submit concrete decisions urgently on a temporary EU framework to cap the price of gas and electricity generation. I note that mention is made of doing this while preventing gas consumption increasing. I understand why this was mentioned and its importance, but how long is it likely to take the Commission to make such a submission? Has the Commission contacted the Council regarding the progress made to date?

I wish to ask about the progress being made by the Government in putting into action the regulation agreed at European level on a windfall tax. The need for urgency in this regard cannot be overemphasised, but the Government seems to be taking its time in implementing the regulation. I must express my extreme dissatisfaction with the Minister's seemingly relaxed attitude to this, all while households and businesses are struggling. What is the delay in implementing this regulation-----

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Read it and the Deputy will know.

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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-----and will the Minister of State outline when he foresees it finally happening? The situation facing businesses and households is urgent and I call on the Government to act with haste and on the Minister of State to outline to the House what process is holding up implementation.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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The Taoiseach made a fine speech at COP27. He stated:

If this generation doesn't step up urgently, future generations will not forgive us.

As leaders, it is our responsibility to drive the transformation necessary

In Ireland, the government has set legally binding emission reduction targets of 51% by 2030, and has committed Ireland to becoming climate-neutral by 2050.

The only problem is, he did not mean a word of it. He did not mention the fact that we were going to miss all of those targets and that, instead of reducing, emissions in agriculture, electricity and transport were actually increasing this year. He did not mention the €30,000 per month agreed in the budget for data centres, which are now responsible for using more electricity than all of the rural homes in Ireland combined. He did not mention the continued commitment to the industrialised model of agriculture, which is our No. 1 emitter of carbon, and the refusal to move away from it. He did not mean a word of this. He is a gross hypocrite.

The problem for the whole world is that he is not the only one. All of the world's leaders are in it together. It is why they can come together, say they are going to save the 1.5 ^oC target, agree a set of targets nationally that amount to an increase in temperature of 2.7 ^oC, and actually be on track for an increase of something like 3.5 ^oC. Those who are suffering the most are the people suffering from floods in Pakistan and from drought in China and the hundreds of thousands of people who are likely facing death in the Horn of Africa as a result of famine caused by climate change.

Words are fine but, as the UN Secretary-General said, politicians and big business are saying one thing but doing another. He said: "Simply put, they are lying." The reason they are lying is because they are wedded to an ecocidal capitalist system that is based around the profits of the big fossil fuel corporations globally and, in this country, the profits of big agribusiness. That is why we have to overthrow this system and we need eco-socialist change.

I wish to raise a point about loss and damage. Last year, the EU, with the backing of the Irish Government, betrayed billions of people in the global south by refusing to back a loss and damage fund at COP26. It was devastating for all of those who had been campaigning for many years. It was the defining failure of COP26. Rich countries are responsible for 90% of the emissions that are causing climate breakdown, but the most serious effects hit those in the global south. A loss and damage fund is a crucial issue at COP27. Can we get a clear commitment that the Government will not repeat last year's betrayal and will give its unequivocal backing for the establishment of a loss and damage fund at COP27?

I wish to address the energy charter treaty. In recent days, we have been treated to all sorts of nonsense by the Taoiseach, who has told us how investor court systems are a normal part of trade and so on. Ireland is only part of one investor court system at the moment, that being the energy charter treaty's. It is a rotten treaty designed to protect energy companies' investments and profits, which in practice means protecting the interests of fossil fuel companies. Through it, we are signed up to an investor-state dispute settlement system, the only one unless we ratify the CETA investor courts. Oil, gas and coal firms have already been awarded more than €100 billion under the energy charter treaty. To quote The Guardian, "As countries have sought to curb their emissions in line with the Paris climate agreement after 2015, the number of claims being brought has exploded." For this reason, many European states are leaving the energy charter treaty or have announced that they will. Italy has withdrawn and other major EU states, including Germany, France, Spain, Poland, Slovenia and the Netherlands, have announced their intention to withdraw from this unjust and environmentally criminal treaty. Will the Irish State be withdrawing from this anti-environment, anti-worker and pro-fossil fuel company treaty?

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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I will pick up on a point that Deputy Paul Murphy raised and with which I agree. COP26 failed to agree a facility on loss and damage. It is the central issue of COP27, which is taking place in Africa geographically approximate to the terrible catastrophe playing out in the Horn of Africa. News has just broke that the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has been appointed the EU's lead negotiator on loss and damage, which is the central and most contentious issue of COP27. That is a tribute to the Minister.

More importantly, it speaks to the quality of the Irish negotiators and diplomatic staff who are out there attending. It shows the importance of having people attend this conference.

The previous meeting of the European Council happened in the shadow of the climate conference in Sharm El-Sheikh. It is next to impossible to talk about one thing without speaking about the other. I very much welcome that the Taoiseach spoke about his participation in and contribution to COP27. I agree with Deputy Paul Murphy that it was a very fine speech. I also agree with the Deputy that we must live up to those words if they are to have any meaning at all.

I have seen criticism in some quarters about participation in structures such as COP. I have been critical of the mechanisms of the international structures of COP, the UN and the EU in the context of how unwieldy they are and the internal politics involved, including those relating to vested interests and bad faith actors. There is a lot of truth in those criticisms. I can kind of understand how some people would say "Okay, should we walk away from these types of structures? Should we take a step back from international action and multilateralism?" I am reminded of an address given by President Higgins in October 2019, when he said:

There is a moral basis to those who are protesting to those who would like a communitarian new beginning, but I believe that to walk away from the State would be a tragic error [...] Obviously, of course, to rely entirely on advocacy directed at the State, and to neglect the possibilities and promise of alternatives within civil society would be a disastrous choice too.

Neither of those approaches is necessary. In fact, we need action at all effective levels, be it the multilateral structure of COP, at a national level or in our communities, and we must be able to relate that down into how we live our own lives. That does not mean for a moment that we should ignore the imperative to radically reform some of our international structures. I would make the argument that a flawed process is better than no process at all. As I said, we see in the appointment of the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and by us participating in this process that hopefully we will get a positive outcome for what I believe is the defining issue of this COP.

The Taoiseach mentioned the food security crisis and, in particular, the unfolding catastrophe in the Horn of Africa. For the remainder of my contribution, I will dwell on the issue of food. As the Taoiseach noted, we are seeing hunger and energy being used as twin weapons in the context of the illegal war being waged in Ukraine. We have seen the reverberations of the shutdown of exports, in particular of wheat exports, from Ukraine and the impact this has on world commodity prices. As ever, and as it always was, it is the most vulnerable who suffer the most in these situations. I am aware that good work is happening at EU Council level around solidarity lanes, which were previously discussed, and good work has also been done in respect of supporting and improving export corridors. That work must continue.

I will address specifically the findings of a recent UN report on the opportunities for repurposing agricultural support to transform food systems. The report found that emissions-intensive and unhealthy commodities receive the most subsidy in the context of supports given and agricultural supports. The report found that it applies to products like sugar, which I suppose is no longer pertinent here in Ireland. As the Acting Chair, Deputy Verona Murphy, will be aware, it was very much an industry across Wexford, Waterford, and Carlow. Beef and milk get the greatest share of worldwide support despite the potentially negative impacts, not just on climate but also on health. The negative repercussions on climate are particularly relevant for high and upper-middle income countries that consume the most meat and dairy per capita. In the least developed countries, there is the opposite effect where cereals, including wheat, rice, and so on, are subsidised. This has negative impacts for biodiversity, climate adaptation, on-farm diversity and growth. It also has a knock-on consequence with regard to the nutritional value in people's food. Looking at that report, we cannot ignore the messages this has for our agricultural system here. As has been stated, we cannot promise the earth, moon and stars, on the one hand and perpetuate a myth that we are feeding the world, on the other. We must be honest about that: we are feeding the developed world dairy and meat. That is the truth of it.

In that vein, but tangential, I acknowledge the work of organisations such as Community Gardens Ireland and GIY that encourage people to grow their own food. Indeed, Community Gardens Ireland, along with Social Farms and Gardens in Northern Ireland, has called today for people growing their own food to be recognised as a climate adaptation action. There are significant carbon savings for every kilo of our own food that we grow. It might be easy to cast down on that and to ignore the impact of that action. Even the IPCC has acknowledged that urban agriculture initiatives can assist with reducing greenhouse gases, improve urban food security, improve biodiversity and have positive impacts in the context of adapting to climate change. If it seems like a drop in the ocean and something that can be easily belittled, we must remember that the ocean is made up of drops. There must be something not just in our multilateral action and not just our national level action, but also at that community and individual level. Even if somebody growing the few spuds in the back garden is not the solution to climate change, sometimes the scale of the problem that faces us paralyses us. We must remember that sometimes the best antidote to despair is action, be they small actions in a person's own life. Small actions can add up. We in the Green Party have always encouraged people to think globally and act locally, and this is one such way of doing so. Of course, all of these things must be rolled in together. We do need a combination of multilateralism, national ambition, community development and individual action if we are to have any hope at all of facing up to the existential crisis that we all accept we now face.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I reiterate what Deputy John Brady said about the 52 officials, including members of the Government and Members of the Oireachtas, who have been declared personae non gratae. I am fairly sure that nobody was preparing to travel to the Russian Federation. This is an affront to our democracy and to our place in the world. We need to ask Ambassador Yuri Filatov to make his journey home. If the Government will not agree to that, then we definitely need some sort of action to be taken in respect of this matter. One could quite easily say that Russia has one hell of a nerve, given what it is engaged in doing. We have had the utterly criminal invasion of Ukraine. There has been an escalation in attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. Our hearts go out to those two men who lost their lives in Poland 10 km from the border with Ukraine. Unfortunately, civilians will always face severe penalties in war situations. When an opportunity arises, we have to play our part, as many others do, in ensuring that we can actually get Ukraine to a more peaceful and hopefully a more prosperous future.

I agree with what others have said. In the context of Trump, Brexit and Marine Le Pen, a mistake has been made and there is a major issue in the sense that people have been left to the side and have felt peripheral. If we are talking about the energy crisis and the other crises we are dealing with, we need Europe and we need domestic governments to deal with the issues that impact on our people.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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The European Drug Report 2022 states that there has been a worrying increase in crack cocaine use in Belgium, Ireland, Spain, France, Italy and Portugal. This is a massive problem that is placing a major strain on services. Those addicted to crack cocaine behave differently and require different treatment from those who are addicted to heroin. We desperately need a concerted effort across Europe to find a synthetic and safe substitute to crack cocaine, similar to methadone, in order to try to give people a chance at stabilisation and starting their road to recovery. Given that Ireland is a small State, but one with a loud voice, we might not have the physical capacity to develop these treatments but we should advocate at every available opportunity for the European Union to develop a plan to tackle this crisis we are facing.

This will not just reduce harm, it will save lives. We are willing to work with the Government and our European partners on this because crack cocaine is becoming a major issue across Europe.

Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent)
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I bid good afternoon to the Minister of State, and I thank the Taoiseach for his opening statement. I will start on the pack of cards and the Russian announcement in the past couple of hours of the sanctioning of and declaring as personae non gratae 52 Irish politicians. I am not sure if the Minister of State made the cut. If he did, congratulations; if not, commiserations. I am not sure if I made it. If not, I should probably try harder. There can be no greater accolade for an Irish politician than to be on that list. It shows we are getting under the Kremlin's skin, doing what we are supposed to be doing and pushing back on Russia's behaviour in Ukraine.

Joking aside, it raises a serious question in relation to Ireland. Will we ignore it? It is fairly pathetic. Alternatively, will we respond? If we choose to respond in our own good time, the Russian Embassy in Dublin should be firmly in the cross hairs. I am not saying we should shut it down completely, but we have four Irish diplomats in the Irish Embassy in Moscow. I see no reason why there should be more than four Russian diplomats in the embassy in Dublin. There are about 30 at the moment, and they are not all typists and gardeners. Nobody has any difficulty with genuine diplomats doing diplomatic work but we have a difficulty with people masquerading as diplomats and doing nefarious work in this jurisdiction. If we are to respond, we should set our sights firmly on the Russian Embassy.

I offer my sympathy and condolences to the Polish ambassador and to the families of the two Polish people who tragically lost their lives yesterday. The preliminary supports suggest that what happened was caused by a Ukraine surface-to-air missile which was fired in good faith to intercept an incoming cruise missile but which malfunctioned and landed in Poland. Regardless of the cause, it does not make things easier for the families, but it emphasises the risk of escalation and the fact that there is no guarantee we can contain this conflict. The blame again must be laid squarely at the doorstep of the Kremlin. The missile was fired in self-defence . The war could stop tomorrow if the Russian regime calls a ceasefire and withdraws its troops.

I welcome the continued military, diplomatic, financial, economic and political support on the part of the European Union for Ukraine, in particular the additional €30 million Ireland is providing, consisting of €25 million for Ukraine and €5 million for Moldova. It is good to see Moldova getting support from us as well.

I welcome the commencement of the Irish military training mission there. It is based on Germany and Poland, focusing on mine clearance and improvised explosive device, IED, demolition. There is another component we might want to consider. There is considerable corporate knowledge here of war crimes investigation. Many people in Ireland have worked directly and indirectly for The Hague and have a skill set that could be involved in that training mission. If we are looking to add an extra string to the bow, that is something we should consider.

The Taoiseach mentioned energy and stated that gas reserves in the EU are at about 90%.That is a good and positive story. The mild weather in the past month or so has probably helped. I know it is outside the Minister of State's remit, but Ireland has no gas reserves. We have plenty of oil reserves because about 25 years ago the European Union decreed that we should have 90 days' supply. Oil is fine. We have reserves on this island and in Denmark and Spain, but we have no gas reserves. It is a key vulnerability so we need to develop that capacity urgently, or certainly as soon as possible.

I appreciate the update regarding the EU Council meeting. I look forward to the next meeting on 15 December.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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The next slot is for Government Deputies. Deputy Richmond is sharing time with Deputy Murnane O'Connor.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I greatly appreciate the contribution by the Taoiseach and look forward to the Minister of State's responses and his insight into the recent European Council meeting. The focus of the contribution in the pre-European Council debate was largely on the energy impacts of Russia's brutal war in Ukraine. That continues to have a tangible impact on our country, notwithstanding the desperate measures taken by the Russian regime this morning to sanction 52 Members of these Houses. Energy prices, accommodating so many welcome refugees in the State and the general global insecurity are impacting on us greatly.

Much has been done in respect of the desire to impose a windfall tax on energy companies. We all agree that doing this collectively at European Union level will have the most impact but it is becoming increasingly urgent because this windfall tax needs to be given back to ease the burden, the energy difficulties and the cost-of-living crisis in heating a home or keeping the lights on in a business. Those crises are being driven by a vicious and oppressive war in Ukraine by a terror state. I ask that it continue to be a top priority for Ireland when discussing energy at European Union level to get this windfall tax or measure introduced.

In respect of the war in Ukraine, it is clear that the European Union and Ireland, as part thereof, are on the right side of history and of this conflict. I welcome the decision taken by the European Union to commit 15,000 personnel to training missions for the Ukrainian military and the reports that Ireland has signed up to it. There are limitations on what we can do due to our opaque policy of military neutrality. My opinions on that are well known - and I will set them aside - but the notion of contributing small numbers of members of the Defence Forces to missions like teaching Ukrainians to clear land mines and IEDs is a righteous one that should have the support of all Members of the House. We need only look at our history or the history of conflicts around the world to see the impact these crude IEDs have had on so many lives, whether in Iraq, Afghanistan or parts of sub-Saharan Africa. The notion we can play a part in helping one Ukrainian child or civilian be safer is a good one. I hope members of our Defence Forces contribute and that it is not just a couple of individuals but all those capable of delivering the training and in a position to go. Clearing land mines and IEDs is something in which we have a particular skill set. We have the most modern equipment for it and have invested in this area of our Defence Forces' capabilities. I strongly support any Irish involvement in this new EU measure above and beyond what has been rumoured in the press. I ask the Minister of State to take away that the Irish people want the Government and Defence Forces to do as much as possible.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 was agreed at a meeting of the Council of Energy Ministers on 30 September 2022 and came into force on 8 October 2022. This regulation places a cap on market revenues for non-gas technologies in the electricity sector and introduces a temporary solidarity contribution based on taxable profits for fossil fuels production and oil refining, as well as reduction targets of 10% of overall electricity consumption and 5% of consumption during peak hours. I am pleased that we will implement this regulation, but will the Minister of State outline, for households and businesses heavily affected by soaring energy prices, where the proceeds will go? The public needs to know. The number of phone calls I have received from business owners in recent days has been worrying. There is concern about energy costs and whether they will be able to keep their businesses going. That is a major factor across the board.

Would the Government consider a communication or information campaign on this? One butcher rang me to say he has six huge fridges, and while he is trying to do his best - I know the Minister of State is aware of this - if things keep going on like this, he does not know if he can sustain it.

I would also ask the Minister of State to address the issue of accommodation for our Ukrainian refugees. This is another huge issue for me. This is also something I have received several phone calls about. There seems to be something failing in the system. I know we were not expecting this and the system was not either. However, two property owners in Carlow and Tullow have come to me who can accommodate 60 refugees, and despite my intervention and going to all the areas to see where I can help, I have still received no word. That is going on months. I am concerned that morale will go if we are not seen to be working with people who own properties. It is the same with people who have houses and are looking to accommodate families. There seems to be a lack of communication. How do we address it better?

I welcome that local authorities now have directors of services for Ukrainians, but they do not work within the accommodation sector and that is a big flaw. While we have those directors of services, I would ask that we also work with the local authorities, particularly on local knowledge. The Minister of State will know himself that there is nothing as good as knowing local businesses, property owners or people with housing who know they can accommodate these people, so I ask him to look at this. I know, as others have said, that the Government is committed to this but these are issues that keep coming up for me in Carlow and Kilkenny and I would ask that the Minister of State would address these.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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I am also glad to be able to speak on this. As usual, the Taoiseach does not wait around for us to make our views known. The Minister of State, Deputy Byrne is here and I have no issue with that, but I repeat what I have said before: they are both completely gobsmacked by the EU. They are serving the global masters instead of serving the people who elected them. In the Minister of State's case it is the people of Meath East. The people will have their say when the next election comes. The Taoiseach will probably head off to Europe and leave the Minister of State behind.

One good thing to come out before COP – I said it is cop-on we should have, not COP – was the 2022/1854 directive. It is in place more a month, yet we still have not put manners on the ESB and other companies that buy on the market to ensure wind energy is not charged the same as fossil fuels. The genie is out of the bottle. You cannot be codding the people. The Government must do something meaningful to look after our people. Look at all the businesses that Deputy Murnane O’Connor mentioned. We all have those businesses and those sad stories.

There is a fundamentally flawed policy of being wedded to the EU no matter what it does. I for one do not support the same thing as Deputy Richmond and others that we would train Ukrainians and others to clear landmines. Our Army is a peacekeeper and has been recognised all over the world. We already gave the Ukrainians €10 million for uniforms and for hats. Are we neutral or are we not? We know the Taoiseach does not respect neutrality and he thinks it is out of date and out of fashion. He wants to be one of the global leaders. We are a dot here. When Europe tries to help us with something, other countries take it up but we are last to implement it because we must serve the global masters. We must serve the big oil companies and the big international companies, all the REITs and housing companies and all the international data centres. It is time Fianna Fáil went back to its roots where it was founded and have some understanding of and empathy for the people and serve them. We can play our part as a proud nation of the world with the United Nations and not be a lackey for the European leaders and for globalists. It is shameful. The Minister of State can look at his book or whatever he is looking at. He will not look me in the face here because he cannot look me in the face because he knows it is true what I am saying. It is shameful. It is wrong. It is despicable. We gave €10 million towards the damage and liability fund. We are being made to pay up for everything while we see Germany and other places stripping out coalmines at the moment. The ESB told us last week it imported 250,000 tonnes of coal in one shipload but the ordinary people cannot burn a sod of turf. The people are sick, sore, sorry and tired of the Government’s semantics and of its globalism and lack of representation.

Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent)
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This morning the Rural Independent Group, led by me, brought a Private Members' motion to the Chamber which was unopposed by the Government and everyone else who was here and who contributed. The motion was to decouple the prices of electricity and gas so that we could get wind and solar energy and fossil fuel energy on two different footings. Everyone in this country can see from their bill that they have, say, 64% renewables. What they did not know until we simplified it today for them was that the 64% renewables on their bill is being charged at the gas price rate, that is, the highest rate. Whether a company is providing its electricity from gas, coal, briquettes peat, oil, wind or solar, customers are being charged at the highest rate by whoever produces the power. The Rural Independent Group brought this forward.

Some 12 months ago we raised the crisis in fossil fuels and businesses going to the wall over transport. Again the Government has done nothing about that. It has been shown now that many of the Government backbenchers and Deputies do not even know what they vote for until we simplify it for them. They are told what to do by the Government. Many of our backbenchers make decisions against their own counties which they represent by not knowing what they vote for. That is what they have done. Today, the 2022/1854 directive showed again that they have to listen to the Rural Independent Group which brought forward this motion that was unopposed by the Government. This is to let them know we know more than they do because we are on the ground with the people. The Government is responsible for every business in this country, including SMEs foreclosing. The Government will be responsible. Its members are the ones who will be remembered.

Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent)
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You can speak now, can you? Fair play to you. You have found your voice.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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As I understand it, the recent European Council meeting was dedicated to mainly to Ukraine, energy and the economy. This was the seventh time since Russia began the war that EU leaders discussed the situation in Ukraine, which gives a clear indicator of the importance of this topic and the effect this war has had on all of Europe. However, I fear that due to the constant focus on Russia, the EU is failing to address other issues adequately. For example, I note that at the Council meeting, EU leaders reiterated that Russia bears the sole responsibility for the current energy and economic crisis. This is simply not true. Energy prices were increasing significantly before any Russian invasion. The Government knows that too. There is no doubt the war in Ukraine has exacerbated and added to the difficulties but it is not the sole cause. Prices and everything else have increased significantly because of that.

We know and I believe this energy and cost-of-living crisis is largely the fault of corporate profits. Big oil and energy companies have doubled and tripled their profits this year, making eye-watering money. The more we point the finger at Russia, the more corporate greed is being allowed and facilitated. We need to be honest about where this energy crisis is coming from and what exactly it is we have to do to address it.

Again, this meeting raised concerns for me regarding Ireland’s neutrality. We need to ensure our neutrality is not being compromised when discussions such as these take place. The Taoiseach's contribution to the debate showed that our neutrality in his eyes is long compromised and long gone by the looks of it.

He stated, "Wherever it turns out the missile concerned originated, Russia is wholly responsible for the consequences of an illegal war that it launched and is continuing to prosecute against Ukraine." Russia is responsible for the war but since we do not know what happened in the incident, we should be very careful about laying blame. Something could happen that we will regret.

The Taoiseach also stated:

The European Council also discussed how to ensure the security of critical infrastructure. Since the start of the war, we have seen an increase in the use of hybrid attacks, including deliberate acts of sabotage such as those against the Nord Stream pipelines.

As far as I know, we do not know for definite who carried out the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines. It has been presented that it was Russia but that does not seem to make any sense. Comments have been made to the effect that it could have been Americans carrying out dirty tricks. We do not actually know. We have to be very careful about what we say about this so we will not inflame things more than necessary. We are putting in jeopardy our own neutrality, which is very serious.

We must remember that standing with Ukraine and continuing to maintain our neutrality are not mutually exclusive. We can do both. We can maintain what has been a very honourable role for Ireland in global affairs. We have a role that can be regarded as significant and important. In the European Union, Ireland may be the only neutral country at this stage. Maybe Austria is neutral also. Sweden and Finland have rushed to join NATO in recent months. I do not see how that will protect them in the long run. NATO, whether we or the EU wants to admit it or not, did a lot to foster and drive this war. There is no excuse for Russia invading Ukraine-----

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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No excuse.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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-----but there is no excuse for the behaviour of NATO either. It has been pushing and pushing and using Ukraine as a proxy in its own conflict with Russia. That is what has been happening across the board.

We have to be very careful and maintain our neutrality. Our neutrality gives us a unique and much-needed voice for peace in Europe and throughout the rest of the world. We should be using that and be proud to do so.

I note that the Council mentioned the EU military assistance mission, the first common security and defence policy mission to be conducted on EU soil. It noted that the cost of the EU military assistance programme for Ukraine since the start of the war was €3.1 million. Ireland's membership of any military alliance and contribution to any type of military mission would undermine its reputation as a neutral State, and we must remember this.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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We are moving on to questions. There is no set time for questions. We have a 20-minute slot and five Members are present, along with the Minister of State. I assume everyone wants to ask a question. Will we work with a minute and a half per question and a minute and a half per response, or do Members want two minutes per question and two per response?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Two minutes.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Agreed. We will start with Deputy Brady.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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I want to follow up on the point several Deputies and I made on the Russian decision to sanction 52 Members of this House of the Oireachtas. It is very clearly an attempt to silence critics who have rightly decided to stand with Ukraine against the brutal occupation and invasion seven months ago. I reiterate my call, a call made by Members of this House and others over the past seven months, to move finally to expel the propagandist in situin this city, Mr. Yuriy Filatov, who represents the brutal occupying force of Russia. The attack on the democratic Houses here and democracy itself by sanctioning 52 Members has to be met with a very strong message from the Government. What actions will the Government finally take? Will it finally take the decision to expel the mouthpiece for the brutal invasion force of Russia, Putin's spokesman in Ireland? Will the Irish Government finally move to expel Mr. Filatov?

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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In numerous instances, we have seen Russia try deliberately to provoke division or discord in democratic nations. I am absolutely convinced that Russia, in this particular manoeuvre, whatever it is, will try to do the same. It will try to divide us. It tried to do it with the fishers and tried to do it many other times over recent years. There were certainly people supporting it in that endeavour over recent years.

All we know is what is in the media reports and what the Russian Foreign Ministry has published on its website. We know no more than that. We do not have a list of names. Some Ministers in the Government were listed on a press release but many others were not. We are certainly not going to overreact to this. I have no idea what the sanctions entail but am quite certain that nobody on the list, certainly those in the political world, has any assets in Russia, any bank accounts there or any reason to visit it any time soon. We would all love to visit Russia if it were to become a democratic state and if it were brought back into the normal democratic system of the world. That is not likely anytime soon. Therefore, we are not going to react to something on which, as yet, we have no information. We certainly believe we have taken a united approach to the Russian Federation and the brutal assault on Ukraine. All our democratic focus in this House should be on Russia, which is 100% responsible for what has happened. If there is anything to react to, I have no doubt the Government will make decisions, but at the moment it simply does not have the information to hand. I suspect we will have very little to do as a result of this decision by the Russian Federation.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I have two questions. First, I want to revisit the question just posed. I find the Minister of State's response entirely unacceptable. I refer to the notion of not overreacting. There has never, from my recollection, been a situation where the Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann was sanctioned and told he was not allowed to visit a country with which we have diplomatic relations. Where 50 Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas, including members of the Government, including the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, are told without precedent that they are personae non grataein a country with which we have diplomatic relations, it is hardly an overreaction to do something stronger than simply say Putin is trying to divide us. Putin is a bully and, like all bullies, needs to be stood up to. I ask the Minister of State to reflect again on what action the Government will take if what has been described proves to be the case.

My second question is on the issue of the Horn of Africa. I am deeply concerned that because of the focus on Ukraine, an increasing number of countries are retrenching their bilateral supports to developing countries in general, but those in Africa in particular. This happened in a now-non-EU country, the UK, when its Department for International Development was subsumed under the department responsible for foreign affairs. I understand it is now happening in Sweden. There is much more focus on migration in Europe and Ukraine, and areas like the Horn of Africa are being taken out of focus. In his discussions with his EU colleagues in particular, will the Minister of State ensure there is a focus on catastrophic events in the Horn of Africa?

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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On the announcement from the Russian Federation, we have no information other than a very brief statement, which does not even name the people it states it is sanctioning.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Would the Minister of State not call in the Russian ambassador and ask whether there is truth in it?

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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This has come to light while we have been sitting. There may well be actions taking place in the Department of Foreign Affairs at the moment. I believe this became public sometime after 1 o'clock today, so it is breaking news. The idea that I would come in here with a formulated response to something that has appeared on a website in the past couple of hours would not be correct. Our entire focus is on helping Ukraine. We can stand here and say how terrible this statement is but all the while missiles will be dumped on Ukraine, affecting its people.

We must keep our focus on that, which is what we have been doing. I will come to the other issue, but the manner in which the Russian Federation has done this contrasts completely with what the EU has done, which has been to be entirely open about how we issue sanctions, namely, people passing laws-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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We must move on to the question on the Horn of Africa. That is the question the Deputy wants answered.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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The actions of the Russian Federation have entailed a lot of criticism for the Irish Government from the Opposition, which I find extraordinary.

Several Deputies rightly raised the situation in the Horn of Africa. This is extremely serious. The Horn of Africa is experiencing its most severe drought in more than 40 years, which has led to high levels of acute food insecurity and malnutrition. As Deputies have said, 36 million people are affected. The number has increased from approximately 19 million that were affected in July. The numbers are staggering and shocking. It is right that Deputies have raised this. It is also right that the Government is providing support and is actively involved in the region. By the end of this year, Ireland will have provided more than €100 million to our humanitarian and development partners in the region. We remain fully committed in that regard. We are providing lifesaving humanitarian aid and longer term development programmes to address food insecurity.

Communities in the region are also supported through multilateral humanitarian action, including the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund. Ireland has already given €11.5 million to this fund.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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That is all right.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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It is important to put all of this on the record. It is so important.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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It is, but the Minister of State will have to do it within the time allowed.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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The EU itself will have contributed more than €5 billion in humanitarian and development assistance for global food security.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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We may have time for a second round.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome as well the ceasefire in Ethiopia between the government there and the Tigrayan leaders in recent days. That is very important and I hope it can be implemented in full and work to the advantage of the people.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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The Minister of State might answer my question today, although he did not on the previous occasion I asked him in the House, about the number of warships that recently docked in the harbour of Cork. Was that with the imprimaturof the Government? The ships were from Canada and Great Britain, among other places. Why are they there and why are they being minded by a large number of gardaí? When anybody approaches them peacefully, not to damage a warship, by walking up to it and asking questions, armed and unarmed gardaí arrive.

The other question I would like the Minister of State to respond to is on whose authority the Taoiseach decided we are not a neutral country anymore. He stated a number of times that our neutrality is outdated and we can see that by his actions. On whose authority is he acting? We had no debate on that in this House. We had no plebiscite or referendum on the matter. As a buachaill óg, I always understood that our neutrality was sacrosanct. I was in the same party as the Minister of State. Has this all changed with the Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, in his quest to become a European Commissioner or whatever else in Europe? On whose authority can he sign up to funds for various causes, be it for uniforms, hats or training in minesweeping? We have not had a debate on the issue. The Taoiseach has not been authorised to do anything in that regard by this Parliament, certainly as far as I am aware. I am on the Business Committee and no debates have been put forward in that regard either.

I would like a response to those questions. On whose authority is the Taoiseach acting? He has delayed the handover now for two more days. We must sit on 17 December, despite what staff and everybody else might have to put up with almost in Christmas week, so that he can attend another global summit. He is intending to go out in a blaze of glory as a globalist.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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I will not respond to the last point. Warships visiting ports is not a matter for the European Council, so I have no information on that. I suggest that the Deputy ask a parliamentary question of the relevant Department or inquiries could be made to the Port of Cork or Cork City Council. I suppose they would have the answer. I do not have the answer, as I am here to discuss the European Council, and it was not raised at the European Council.

Regarding neutrality, the Taoiseach has made it very clear our neutrality is characterised by non-membership of military alliances. He has also said there are no plans to join any military alliance. When one country gets effectively beaten up, with many of its citizens killed by another country, there are very basic principles of international law that have been broken. Those basic principles come from the United Nations system, an international system, which the Deputy knows a previous Minister for Foreign Affairs and member of Fianna Fáil, Frank Aiken, played a massive role in putting together over many years. That is the system we uphold, one we must uphold if we want to be a democratic state bound by the rule of law and if we want to insist that others maintain those principles. My party - Deputy Mattie McGrath's former party - has a very proud tradition in the United Nations system. The UN General Assembly, on many occasions, has condemned Russia's actions because they breach the basic principles of the United Nations to which we have all signed up. It is a very simple proposition for us on this side of the House. There is no issue with it whatsoever. There is no suggestion we are joining NATO, that we are taking part in any common defence, or that we are providing weapons to Ukraine. What we have done in the temporary protection directive is contribute to non-lethal military equipment. Austria, which is also a neutral country, has done the same. We have been proud to do that. The equipment is very important and has been very gratefully received by the Ukrainians.

Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent)
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Why is the Government so slow to respond to the European laws that are made to help the SMEs and people of Ireland? I refer to the toolbox we were given. I will give just one example. When the fuel crisis came, we asked the Government to help the SMEs, road hauliers and others involved in transport around the country. It introduced a fund that would only benefit those with a road haulage licence, which took out 65% of the trucks and vans in this country. The Government only supplemented one side of the equation. It did not provide a supplement for everybody.

Prior to the energy crisis in this country, Newcastlewest had four butchers and now it has only one because of the costs. I go from town to town and village to village where we have SMEs that are relying on energy and the Government has not reacted because it does not seem to understand the consequences of all these small businesses closing down.

We can see from our electricity bills that 64% of electricity comes from renewables and that we are being charged a high rate for gas. Why can the Government not react fast enough? It brought the VAT down to 9%. It gave people €600, inclusive of VAT, which brings it down to €550. The taxation system in this country is killing the SMEs because of the energy cost. I want to save lives, families, businesses, and communities. Why is the Government so slow to react and help people even when Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 was introduced on 8 October? There will no businesses left in rural areas. It will only be the multinationals that can sustain the cost that will be able to stay open and the SMEs will close.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy O'Donoghue is on record as opposing the budget. His constituents this week are massively benefiting from Government supports that come from taxation to help them with their fuel bills. Every one of his constituents on the fuel allowance this week is getting an unprecedented lump sum to help them with the difficult challenges they face. The Deputy opposed it all and he keeps giving out about it.

Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent)
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What about the costs for SMEs?

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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They are getting €600 in three lump sums to help with their bills. The Government has been working very hard and is about to introduce significant measures for the SME sector. We have done a large amount at European level. We have gone to the European Union and worked together with all the other governments and we have made these decisions together. We have taken action to attract new gas supplies into the European market, including for ourselves. European Union countries have stored 90% of their requirements. Many Deputies, including Deputy Murnane O'Connor, to be fair to her, welcomed the regulation on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices. That is about demand reduction, but there is also a cap on energy companies making excessive profits from renewables and other sources as well as making a solidarity contribution from fossil fuel profits. One Deputy asked about the delay, but if he had read the regulation, we are required to comply with it from 1 December. There is extensive work involved in doing that. I accept the price of energy is a key consideration for us, but the businesses in Deputy O'Donoghue's constituency, in my constituency and throughout the country also need security of supply. We must make sure we can give them the supply. There are two sides to the equation: getting the price down and making sure we have the supply. The Government has been entirely focused on that. By any measure, we have achieved substantial results in the face of the crisis and we will continue to work on the situation as well.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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I was not aware there was a question and answer session. I have two questions about the military support for Ukraine and the training effort that will take place in Europe. What will Ireland's role be in that regard and in terms of participation in the event?

On the cost of gas and electricity, the document says the Council meeting in December will address this again. Are we going to see concrete proposals to address the issue after December? When will the proposals come forward?

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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The issue of military assistance and de-mining is at an early stage. The Minister for Defence, Deputy Coveney, would be in a better position to discuss that. We welcome the agreement reached to established an EU military assistance mission in support of Ukraine. Ireland is engaging with Ukraine at present to assess how best to respond to its specific request for support in the area of de-mining where, as the Taoiseach noted last week we have some expertise. To be fair, the Ukrainians have severe needs and the whole area of mines is the classic civilian problem both during wartime and thereafter, where ordinary people are put at risk because of the mines that have been planted. We have some expertise and that help could be provided through the EU military assistance mission but there is work to be done on that. The Minister for Defence and the Taoiseach undoubtedly will be able to provide the Dáil with further information.

As I stated in respect of energy, a lot has been achieved. I have already listed out what has been achieved to Deputy O'Donoghue and more work is ongoing. The Deputy is correct that the Heads of Government and State will return to this issue in December. It is important work and takes time. The fact that there can be disagreements or complexities around this issue is a feature rather than a flaw of the European system. We are working together to protect all of our national interests, all of which are important, but we also realise the importance of working together as member states of the European Union, contrary to what Deputy Mattie McGrath alleges, at all European debates, about there being some kind of conspiracy. We should try to keep conspiracy theories out of the Dáil and this whole thing about globalism is a conspiracy theory. There is no conspiracy. The governments try to work together for their peoples in the knowledge that by doing so, we get better results for the European people as a whole. We in Ireland have a specific situation in respect of gas because our gas supply is not connected to the continental European market, and we must protect that. To be fair to the other member states, they recognise that. When you start looking around the table, however, you see that each country or region has its own specificities that must be addressed as well. We are not unique in that regard.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State and ask him to make his concluding remarks.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputies for their statements and questions. Sna ráitis seo chun clabhsúr a chur le cúrsaí, labhróidh mé faoin gcruinniú mullaigh idir an tAontas Eorpach agus Comhlachas Náisiúin na hÁise Thoir Theas, ASEAN, atá le tarlú an 14 Nollaig agus breathnóidh mé chun cinn freisin ar an gcruinniú mullaigh idir an tAontas agus na Balcáin Thiar a bheidh ar siúl i dTiorána na hAlbáine an 6 Nollaig.

Tá Éire go mór ar son an chaidrimh idir an tAontas Eorpach agus ASEAN. Is clochmhíle shuntasach í an chomhpháirtíocht 45 bliain idir AE agus ASEAN.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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An bhfuil cóip den óráid ar fáil?

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Tá súil agam go bhfuil.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy Howlin?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I am just asking for a copy of the speech.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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We will endeavour to provide copies as soon as possible.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Okay.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Leanfaidh mé ar aghaidh.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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As Béarla, please.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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I will be continuing in it shortly. Is deis a bheidh ann freisin do AE agus ASEAN cinneadh polaitíochta comhroinnte a léiriú chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar shaincheisteanna atá ina n-ábhair imní go réigiúnach agus ar fud an domhain.

Beidh cruinniú mullaigh idir AE agus na Balcáin Thiar ar siúl i dTiorána na hAlbáine an 6 Nollaig. Casfar ceannairí AE ar a macasamhlacha ó na Balcáin Thiar i mí na Nollag agus is deis a bheidh ann chun iniúchadh a dhéanamh ar na réimsí inar féidir leis na Balcáin Thiar agus AE tacaíocht agus cúnamh frithpháirteach a chur ar fáil i bhfianaise na ndúshlán comhchoiteann.

Leaders discussed the EU's relations with Asia and in particular with the ten Asian countries that make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, and preparation for the upcoming EU-ASEAN commemorative summit on 14 December. Ireland is a strong supporter of EU-ASEAN relations and 45 years of partnership between the EU and ASEAN is a significant milestone. The summit will be an opportunity to give a strong political signal from Europe that we want to strengthen our strategic relations with south-east Asia through concrete and practical co-operation so the full potential of both regions can be realised. It will also be an opportunity for EU and ASEAN to demonstrate a shared political determination to address regional and global issues of concern. The summit comes at a critical time in terms of the current geopolitical context with Russia's war in Ukraine and the ongoing conflict in Myanmar. It will be a welcome opportunity for the EU and ASEAN to clearly signal shared support for the international rules-based order.

As I have already said, an EU-western Balkans summit will take place in Tirana, Albania on 6 December. It is welcome and significant that it will take place for the first time in the western Balkans region itself. The western Balkans, like the rest of Europe, is currently facing multifaceted challenges arising from the war on Ukraine, in the form of security concerns, political disruption, energy security and cost-of-living concerns. This comes on the back of the challenges of trying to rebuild their economies, which were laid low by the pandemic. When EU leaders meet with their counterparts in December, it will be an opportunity to explore where the western Balkans and the EU can provide mutual support and assistance in the face of these common challenges and where the EU can use its collective strength to assist its western Balkans neighbours with the political and economic supports to drive economic recovery, including with a view to an accelerated European Union pathway.

The pathway to EU membership is of course a thread that runs through all of our relationships in the western Balkans. Ireland would like to see the opportunities afforded to us as a member of the EU afforded to all countries who are prepared to meet the requirements of accession and Ireland will support those who wish to join. The Taoiseach was pleased to contribute to the decision of the European Council in June to grant EU candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova and potential candidate status to Georgia. This will support all three in moving forward with their reform agendas and towards full membership of the European Union. I welcome that the EU, through the General Affairs Council, officially launched accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia in July. This sent an important signal to the region that the EU remains serious about enlargement. I am supportive of Bosnia and Herzegovina's European perspective. I expect the Commission's recommendation that Bosnia and Herzegovina be granted EU candidate status will be on the agenda for discussion at the December European Council. This moment represents a real opportunity for Bosnia and Herzegovina to move forward on its EU path but it can only do so by delivering on key reforms. I pay tribute to the team at the UN where the mandate for Operation Althea for Bosnia and Herzegovina was approved by unanimous vote of the UN Security Council at a meeting I attended.

I am out of time but that covers almost all the issues the Taoiseach asked me to.