Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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5. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on recent engagements with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. [60873/22]

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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6. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent engagements with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. [1183/23]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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7. To ask the Taoiseach the extent to which he has had discussions with his UK or European counterparts in respect of the Northern Ireland protocol. [2231/23]

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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8. To ask the Taoiseach to report on his recent engagements with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. [3279/23]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 8, inclusive, together.

I spoke with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, by telephone on 11 January 2023. This was my first opportunity to speak with the President since my reappointment as Taoiseach. She offered me her congratulations and we said we looked forward to operating closely on the important agenda of work ahead at European level, not least our collective response to the war in Ukraine and the current economic situation.

We took the opportunity for an exchange on current negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom on the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland. I briefed the President on efforts under way to restore the Assembly and Executive in Northern Ireland, as well as the North-South bodies, which are not functioning. We welcomed the improved atmosphere and engagement in the negotiations on the protocol and expressed a shared desire for joint solutions to issues that have arisen for people and businesses in Northern Ireland in its implementation. I thanked the President, Vice-President Šefčovič and their teams for their work and wished them every success in the period ahead. We said we looked forward to meeting in person at the special European Council meeting, which will take place in Brussels on 9 and 10 February.

I met the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week. She looked forward to visiting Dublin and made clear the Parliament’s continuing interest in a positive outcome to the negotiations with the United Kingdom.

I spoke with Prime Minister Sunak by phone on 23 January. We discussed a range of issues, including restoring the democratic institutions in Northern Ireland and the North-South institutions, the ongoing EU negotiations on the protocol and our shared wish to strengthen British-Irish relations more broadly.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Taoiseach for his response. I think everybody was pleased to hear of his remarks on the improved atmosphere in Northern Ireland. The restoration of power-sharing is of paramount importance but the remaining issues and sticking points on the protocol must be progressed promptly or there undoubtedly will be repercussions. In his meetings with political parties in Northern Ireland and that with the British Prime Minister, which I believe was subsequent to his meeting with President von der Leyen, were there further reasons to be optimistic about an agreement on the protocol?

Was there any discussion with President von der Leyen on the REPowerEU plan? Will he report to the House on that matter?

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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The Saudi state is trying to persuade many European universities to set up campuses in the new King Abdullah Economic City. In June last year representatives of the city met those of several Irish universities and of Enterprise Ireland to this end. The meeting came just three months after the Saudi state executed 81 prisoners, mainly by beheading, in one day. Many were political prisoners and many had been imprisoned for the crime of being a member of a religious minority.

According to the European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights, there are currently 61 Saudi prisoners on death row, eight of whom were arrested when they were minors. Human rights campaigners fear another mass execution in the weeks ahead. That is why they are organising protests in 60 countries on 10 and 11 February. Will the Taoiseach join me in saying that no Irish university should establish a campus in Saudi Arabia or be part of a PR exercise for this brutally repressive regime? Will he urge Ursula von der Leyen to say the same thing for Europe as a whole?

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I commend the Taoiseach on the discussions he has already had. The time involved in the discussion on the Northern Ireland protocol is important. It cannot remain static, immovable or unmoved for a considerable period, considering the extent to which the European Union supported the calls to prevent land borders in this country, the need to address the pressing issues from the point of view of the European Union and the United States and the need to work at the issues involved with a view to resolving them at the earliest possible date.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I agree with much of what has been said. The mood music seems to be better when dealing with the British Government. The Taoiseach has said the Irish protocol is working, particularly in relation to business. We are hopeful there will be a deal between the European Commission and the British Government. That needs to happen as soon as possible. We also want to see the Executive up and running. We do not accept there is a legitimate reason for it not to be up and running but the DUP has set itself up in what I would term a political cul-de-sac. That is for its members but we need to ensure all stakeholders know there can be no return to anything that even smells like a hard border. The protocol being streamlined is to be welcomed by everybody. I acknowledge the Taoiseach cannot look into a crystal ball but does he believe there will be a deal relatively soon? Is he hopeful of having the Executive running? Anything the Government can do should be done.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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I will use the Taoiseach's recent conversations with President von der Leyen as a springboard into the conversation I want to have. When the President was here in December, she spoke of Ireland’s great reception for those who came seeking sanctuary. In the last couple of days, it has once again been announced that accommodation will not be provided to people who come here seeking international protection. People have a right to pursue asylum. It is not fair for the State to say it will not be in a position to accommodate those people. That will mean refugees will be placed on the streets at a time of incredible tension and, I would say, unprecedented aggression. The State needs to do better. We understand Putin is using refugees as a tool in his war. I do not discount that but the State cannot neglect its responsibilities. We cannot say to communities already under massive strain and pressure that they can deal with it themselves. The State has a role. It cannot be in three or four weeks’ time; it has to be now. The Ministers responsible need to up their game. I do not doubt the pressure they are under but they must do better.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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I ask again about the refugee discrimination the Government is engaged in. Why is a person from Ukraine more entitled to be accommodated than a person from Yemen or Syria, when both are fleeing similar conditions? The Taoiseach earlier said it was because they have a different status but it is a political decision of the Government to give them such a status so it does not answer the question. Why treat them differently? Is it because one is European? Is it because one is white?

This policy against certain refugees is scapegoating the most vulnerable in our society in an attempt to cover up the fact that the Government’s housing policy is a complete failure. This policy will see hundreds of additional men and women rough sleeping in the coming weeks, exacerbating the crisis. Those who arrived yesterday received a €20 Dunnes voucher and were told they would be emailed when the accommodation becomes available. It is scandalous when there are over 160,000 vacant homes in the State that the Government is doing nothing about. Does the Taoiseach accept there is no such thing as an illegal asylum seeker? Everyone has the right to come here and apply for asylum.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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In a fairly terrifying development, yesterday the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, which was instigated by Albert Einstein and other atomic scientists in 1945, moved the doomsday clock to 90 seconds to midnight from previously being 100 seconds to midnight.

The atomic scientists describe this as a metaphor for how close humanity is to self-annihilation. Previously, the nearest the clock had been to midnight was 17 minutes, which was at the end of the Cold War. It is now at 90 seconds. That organisation cites specifically the threat of nuclear war as a result of the escalation of the war in Ukraine.

We all know that Putin instigated that war and is the culprit of an unjustified and brutal invasion,but there is no sign whatsoever from the EU or from President von der Leyen - quite the opposite - of an attempt to de-escalate this terrifying situation. That is not in any way to mitigate Putin’s crimes but escalating this war to the possibility of a nuclear conflict is too scary to even think about. That is what the atomic scientists believe. When the Taoiseach looks at tanks and the escalation of this, is he not scared? Does he not think that a neutral country such as Ireland should be calling for the de-escalation of this terrifying conflict?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I absolutely call for de-escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. The best way it can be de-escalated is for Russia to withdraw, either by withdrawing fully from Ukraine or at least by withdrawing to the boundaries as they were this time last year. That is the best way for us to de-escalate this war and-----

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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And if not, we will blow ourselves to hell.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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-----that is what I am calling for.

To go back to the initial question by Deputy Alan Farrell, it is correct to say that there is an improved atmosphere between the European Commission and the UK Government. It is a much better atmosphere, a much better backdrop and a much better mood music than I have seen or heard at any period since Brexit was passed. There is increased trust. I think there is increased flexibility on both sides and there is also increased confidentiality, which is also very important. We have all agreed to make sure that these talks and negotiations can happen in a confidential setting. That is not to say that there are not big differences and gaps; there are. Those gaps will be hard to close and those differences will be hard to resolve.

When I spoke with President von der Leyen on the phone, we did not have a chance to discuss REPowerEU but that may well be a topic of discussion on 9 and 10 February. In my conversation with the Prime Minister, Mr. Sunak, we discussed the protocol and I restated our objection to the UK’s legacy legislation, as well as our concerns around the proposed electronic travel authorisation which could adversely affect EU citizens and non-EU citizens trying to go from North to South.

In terms of a timeline for an agreement, there is no definite timeline and there is no deadline. We would all love to see a resolution before the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement or if not, before St. Patrick’s Day. However, I cannot say that this will be possible at this stage. There is no particular deadline in that regard.

On the death penalty, I wish to make clear that Ireland is opposed to the death penalty in any country. However, as a general principle we do not support boycotts and disinvestment because we believe that more can be achieved by engagement. I am not aware of any Irish universities that plan to set up a campus in Saudi Arabia. Obviously, they would have to think for themselves about what might be involved in that. There are Saudi students who come here to study in Ireland. I have met some of them. They are great ambassadors for their country and they are very much welcome here.

Finally, on the refugee crisis, as I said earlier we should not forget the context. We are facing an unprecedented situation with a refugee crisis in Europe the likes of which we have not seen since the Second World War and the likes of which we have never seen in Ireland. Let us not forget that last year, we welcomed almost 100,000 people to Ireland from Ukraine and from other parts of the world. We provided them with shelter, food, heat, light, education for their children, healthcare and, in many cases, employment. We can be proud as a society of what we have done in the past year. There is no lack of compassion from the Government or from the Irish people but there is a lack of capacity. We are doing all we can at the moment to source more accommodation. In the meantime, we have to prioritise and we will be prioritising people coming from Ukraine, as well as people who are not coming here from Ukraine such as children, families, vulnerable adults and, of course, programme refugees. Yet, we cannot guarantee accommodation for everyone who comes to the country unannounced. We will certainly not turn anyone away but we will say to people that if they are thinking of coming to Ireland and if they are in a safe country, if they are in a safe place and if they have accommodation, they need to be aware of the fact that accommodation is not necessarily available in Ireland. People coming here are of all sorts of different status. Citizens from the EU and the UK are free to come here at will, provided they can support themselves. We issue 40,000 work permits every year to people of every colour, race and religion who come here legally. They are allowed to do that and they are extremely welcome. We need them to power our economy and run our public services. It does not matter what their race, religion or colour is. People who come here from Ukraine are beneficiaries of temporary protection under EU law, which is above national law, and have a particular status. Programme refugees, including those coming from Syria, for example, have a particular status. Those who are seeking international protection also have a particular status but it is a different status from the ones that I mentioned.