Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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13. To ask the Taoiseach to report on his recent discussions with President Zelenskyy. [16742/25]

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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14. To ask the Taoiseach to report on his recent discussions with President Zelenskyy. [16804/25]

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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15. To ask the Taoiseach to report on his recent discussions with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. [20900/25]

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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16. To ask the Taoiseach to report on his recent discussions with President Zelenskyy. [22405/25]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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17. To ask the Taoiseach to report on his recent discussions with President Zelenskyy. [22406/25]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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18. To ask the Taoiseach to report on his recent discussions with President Zelenskyy. [22478/25]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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19. To ask the Taoiseach to report on his recent discussions with President Zelenskyy. [22661/25]

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take questions Nos. 13 to 19, inclusive, together.

On Thursday, 27 February I met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Shannon Airport during a scheduled stopover on his way to Washington. We had a warm and substantial meeting. We discussed the most recent developments with regard to the situation in Ukraine.

I reiterated Ireland's steadfast support for Ukraine and its people as they continue to defend themselves against Russia's ongoing illegal and brutal aggression. I reaffirmed Ireland's readiness to offer practical humanitarian and financial support to Ukraine, both bilaterally and with our EU partners.

We discussed how, together with the EU, we can advance a just, sustainable and durable peace in Ukraine. This was a key focus of the discussions among EU leaders at both the special meeting of the European Council on 6 March and the European Council meeting on 20 and 21 March. I also took the opportunity to offer my support for the acceleration of Ukraine's membership of the EU. This will be an important part of broader security guarantees for Ukraine.

I also had an opportunity to meet President Zelenskyy with other leaders at the conference in Paris on peace and security for Ukraine, hosted by President Macron on 27 March. There we agreed that this war, and the threat posed by Russia, is not only an existential issue for Ukraine, but also a major challenge to the security of Europe. European Union leaders agreed that a ceasefire can only take place as part of the process leading to a comprehensive peace agreement and that any such agreement needs to be accompanied by robust and credible security guarantees for Ukraine that contribute to deterring future Russian aggression. Ireland will continue to engage with partners on ongoing efforts towards a meaningful ceasefire, how we can support that ceasefire if and when it comes and how we can contribute to bringing about a just and lasting peace that respects Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It is more important than ever that we remain steadfast in our support so that Ukraine can negotiate from a position of strength. The EU has provided substantial military support to Ukraine to enable it to defend itself and, in doing so, to defend the values we all hold dear. Ireland is playing its part. Our support to date has focused on humanitarian and stabilisation assistance, alongside non-lethal military support, both through the European peace facility and bilaterally, and strong political support, including for Ukraine's European perspective.

In March, the Government approved a significant €100 million package of military support for Ukraine, including non-lethal elements of air defence, anti-drone devices and demining.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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I thank the Taoiseach for the briefing. First, I wish to express my own deep solidarity and that of the Labour Party with the people of Ukraine as they face what the Taoiseach has rightly described as an existential threat to their country and, indeed, to European democracy as a result of Russia’s brutal war and bombardment. I want to ask about three specific ways that we can show solidarity in a practical sense from Ireland. The first is on pressing further for EU membership for Ukraine, which the Taoiseach said came up at the meeting of EU leaders. The second is on ensuring that we can continue to supply non-lethal supports to Ukraine. The Taoiseach said a new package has been agreed, and that is welcome. The third is supports for those who have come here seeking refuge from the war in Ukraine. It is very positive to see how well we have supported Ukrainian refugees over the last few years. However, I am concerned about the cuts the Government and some in opposition are proposing to accommodation recognition payments and the winding down of organisations such as Helping Irish Hosts which have been supplying really important supports to Ukrainian refugees and families who have come here.

The European Parliament on 8 May passed a resolution noting Russia’s genocidal strategy in abducting and deporting Ukrainian children. We need to do more to highlight that appalling and barbaric practice.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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We have all stood here many times before and spoken of the disgraceful attack by Russia on Ukraine and its continued policy which is just nouveau imperialism. It is no different from what has happened many times before in Russian history and the history of many other states beyond that, unfortunately, as we know too well.

We need to stand with Ukraine and against Russia but at some time there has to be peace. There has been some element of engagement. It is very difficult to talk about America’s engagements at this time in any positive way when we see what is happening in Gaza. We have seen the Overton window that Donald Trump has facilitated on some level around the Riviera and the freedom zones, which has allowed a scenario where Israel has moved into something which is genocide hunger, with minimal aid, and beyond that.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy Byrne.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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In the context of engagement and what President Zelenskyy has said, how can we engage in facilitating peace, both as a state and as part of the wider European Union?

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Taoiseach’s continued engagement with President Zelenskyy, our continued strong support for the people of Ukraine and our condemnation of Russian aggression. I am sure the Taoiseach agrees with me that under no circumstances should Russia ever have a veto on Irish foreign security or defence policy.

On practical examples of action that could be taken, in 1990, when Charles Haughey was Taoiseach, Ireland led when it came to German reunification and a united Germany’s membership of the European Union. That was followed in 2004 by the accession of ten central and eastern European countries during our EU Presidency. I hope that during the 2026 Presidency priority will be given to aiding, as far as possible, Ukraine’s membership of the European Union.

With that in mind, I hope the Taoiseach will also give an assurance, in the context of the multi-annual funding framework and the agreement of the EU budget, that when we have a fully funded CAP, it would not just be to meet current needs but would also look at the needs of an expanded European Union, including Ukraine, especially with regard to Pillar 2 of CAP. Will the Taoiseach give indications with regard to the EU Presidency in that respect?

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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From the outset of Putin's criminal invasion of Ukraine, we pointed out that US involvement there was not driven by any concern for self-determination and the interests of ordinary Ukrainian people but was instead driven by its own strategic interests. That has become undeniably clear under Trump. It is clear the US is only interested in Ukraine insofar as the people of Ukraine can be used to weaken Russia, and Ukraine can then be carved up for its own aims. The blackmail deal done by Trump is to steal minerals from the Ukrainian people while agreeing to Russia taking much of the land. The term "ReArm Europe" is a joke because military expenditure has gone up year on year for the past decade and is being used to suspend fiscal rules, not to build homes, to tackle healthcare crises across Europe or to help people crippled by the cost-of-living crisis but to give more money to the arms companies fuelled by debt and destruction. It is why people came together two weeks ago, at a powerful meeting, to defend neutrality and the triple lock. They will be on the streets on Saturday, 14 June at 2 p.m. Will the Taoiseach outline the timing of the Government's plans to dismantle the triple lock?

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I might begin by stating how proud I am of us as a nation and of the people of Ireland for what we have done over the past three years or so in providing jobs, employment and, most importantly, safe accommodation for people from Ukraine who have fled this unjust war. I will ask the Taoiseach some specific questions. Will he speak to us on where fast-tracking EU membership for Ukraine is at or provide some kind of roadmap or timeline for how we are likely to expedite that? My second question is on the financial support promised by this country for the European Peace Facility. Initially, Hungary tried its best to frustrate that provision of funding. Will the Taoiseach give us an update on where the peace fund via the EU lies, in light of Hungary's deliberate attempts to disrupt it in the past, and where are we at with it?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I again thank all the Deputies who contributed. Deputy Bacik spoke about the European Union membership of Ukraine. We were one of the steadfast early supporters of Ukraine's membership of the European Union, believing it would end a vacuum geopolitically, create its own implicit security for Ukraine and also enable it to be a full participant in the economic benefits and basic liberties that go with being a member of the European Union. The European Union is probably one of the safest places in which to live in the world today. It is where we have the protection of basic fundamental rights of freedom of academic autonomy, freedom of speech, a free media and so on. It is interesting that the European Union gets attacked in the House a lot but actually, jurisdiction-wise, and if we look at different parts of the world, it is probably one of the better places in which to live for most citizens. That is why it is so attractive to so many people who want to come to live in Europe. They come from all over the world, migrating from autocracies and authoritarian regimes. The Deputy is correct in saying we need to highlight more clearly the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia. That is a very shocking war crime. The repatriation of those children and reuniting them with their families has to be a core objective.

Deputy Ó Murchú raised the issue of the peace process. The US initiatives are welcome in respect of trying to engineer a peace pathway, faltering as it has been to date, between Ukraine and Russia. The UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and the French President, Emmanuel Macron, have been particularly active in endeavouring to move the situation on while supporting and protecting Ukraine in this entire process. I appreciate the Deputy's condemnation of Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Deputy Malcolm Byrne raised the issue of Russia having a veto over whether we join or participate in peace missions. I could not agree with him more. Russia should not have a veto over a sovereign decision that Ireland should be able to take to participate in peacekeeping missions around the world, or in civil protection mechanisms. That is something the Government will deal with legislatively, which makes absolute sense given the performance of the Security Council in recent times in respect of a whole range of appalling conflicts.

On 2026, the multifinancial framework and the Common Agricultural Policy, protecting the Common Agricultural Policy by having a separate line allocation and budget for it will be key. We are awaiting proposals from the Commission. We also want to accelerate, and Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan also raised this issue, the accession of Ukraine to the European Union. Hungary is holding that up. It has paralysed many issues, including the European Peace Facility. We have had to move bilaterally to provide financial support to Ukraine. That is financial support which would ordinarily have gone through the European Peace Facility but was not facilitated by Hungary because of its obstructionist tactics in respect of that facility and the beginning of the process of facilitating a pathway to European Union membership. There are real challenges within the European Union regarding Hungary's behaviour to date on quite a number of these issues. It is something that needs to be resolved as quickly as possible involving all member states.

Deputy Murphy raised the issue of Russia's criminal enterprise in its invasion of Ukraine and then moved quickly to the US. The US did not invade Ukraine and did not start this war. The US has supported Ukraine quite extensively - more than anybody else. Without US support, it is quite clear that Russia's criminal enterprise would, to all intents and purposes, have worked. Russia would be in control of the entirety of Ukraine by now if it was not for US intervention and the support of other European countries, such as France, the United Kingdom and others, for example Denmark, which have made very significant contributions to the Ukrainian military enterprise. The Deputy also made the point, and I think used the phrase, that Europe was deliberately using military expenditure to suspend fiscal rules. That is not a correct definition or characterisation of what has occurred. Many member states on the eastern flank, particularly the Baltics, feel an existential threat from Russia. Financially and fiscally, they are not as strong as others. They feel they need supports and cannot defend themselves, or strengthen their military and defensive capability, without having military expenditure by those countries taken out of the fiscal rule framework. That is the motivation. It is a realistic-----

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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I am just saying what is happening.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is not.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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It is not happening for housing. It is not happening for healthcare.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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For people who live in Estonia, Poland, Lithuania or Latvia, the daily fear and number one overriding consideration is whether they continue to exist as a sovereign country, and how they protect their territorial integrity, because of what history has taught them, what they have experienced historically and what they fear. The Deputy cannot tell them what they should be afraid of, no more than I can, but I can tell him that is what they are afraid of above and beyond everything else. That is why they are spending far higher percentages of GDP on defence than we are or ever will.