Catherine Ardagh (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)
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94. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the discussions he has had about the possibility of utilising €1.87 billion in frozen Russian assets for reparations for the war of aggression against Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56946/25]

Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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140. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the action he is taking to ensure that frozen Russian assets become central to Ukrainian reconstruction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56944/25]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Bogaimid ar aghaidh anois go dtí ceist Uimh. 94. Tá an Teachta Lahart á tógaint. Tá sé seo nascaithe le ceist Uimh. 140 in ainm an Teachta Ryan O’Meara chomh maith.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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These questions were transferred to me. Will the Tánaiste outline the discussions he has had about the possibility of utilising the €1.87 billion in frozen Russian assets, which are the ones in Ireland that we know of, for reparations for the war of aggression against Ukraine?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 94 and 140 together. I thank Deputies Lahart, O'Meara and Ardagh for the questions.

Russia has to be held accountable for its action. In my view, Ireland's view and the view of the Government, Russia needs to pay for the destruction that it has brought and is sadly still bringing about by its illegal brutal war in Ukraine. As a result of extensive sanction measures, in particular the Ukraine territorial integrity sanctions regime, the private financial assets of more than 2,500 individuals and entities have been frozen across the European Union. As the Deputy indicated, around €1.84 billion of these assets are frozen in Irish institutions. These are assets of listed individuals and entities that are frozen under the sanctions regime. The asset freeze is temporary and does not involve the seizure of the asset in question. Separately, under another Russian sanctions regime concerned with sectoral measures, over €200 billion of sovereign Russian assets, including those of the Central Bank of Russia, have been immobilised within the EU. This measure prohibits any dealings with such assets. No such sovereign Russian assets are held in our country.

The extraordinary revenue generated from these immobilised sovereign assets has been used to service an EU-G7 loan to Ukraine. To date, Ukraine has received €14 billion from the EU under this mechanism and €25 billion in total. Ukraine's funding needs are enormous. We should be honest and upfront on this. It is more important than ever that we bolster support for Ukraine across all work strands, both to help Ukraine as it fights Russia's illegal war of aggression but also to project a focused and unified European Union.

Our country is supportive of exploring options for the further use of the immobilised Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine. However, it has to be done in line with applicable laws and in careful co-ordination with international partners. Discussions are under way on options to do this. I was part of some yesterday in Luxembourg. EU leaders held an exchange on the issue during their informal meeting in Copenhagen at the start of this month and an outline proposal has been shared. Yesterday, I reiterated Ireland's support for maintaining pressure on Russia by quickly reaching agreement on the 19th sanctions package. I also reiterated that Ireland is supportive of exploring options for the further use of Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine. It is expected that European leaders, including our Taoiseach, will return to this discussion in the coming days at the European Council.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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In my experience as chair of the foreign affairs and trade committee, the Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland came in last week. We received a comprehensive statement. Has the Tánaiste or Taoiseach considered initiating some sort of round table facility with leaders of the Opposition? It strikes me that we get, and rightly so, incredibly exercised about events in Israel, Gaza and Palestine. This does not need to be binary. However, there seems to be a real lack of understanding in certain parts of the House on the actual necessity to engage with the Ukrainian peace and the threat that Russia poses. That threat is spreading across Scandinavia into the shadow fleet off the shores of this island, yet there does not seem to be the same deep embedded appreciation for the threat that poses to us. I do not know whether a number of mature adult conversations need to be had on a regular basis and based on confidentiality because there are security issues. That was not part of the question; I have run into it.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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It is a good idea. My Department remains available to brief any Member of the Opposition, and most particularly party spokespeople and leaders.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Have they ever sought a briefing on it?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I do not want to say off the top of my head that they have not, but I am not aware of any such recent briefings. However, it is available. I will talk to the Taoiseach to how best to facilitate the Deputy's suggestion. It is a good one because there is a war on the Continent of Europe. This country is going to have the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of next year. As the Deputy said, there are issues with the shadow fleet. There are real issues in relation to the incursions into European airspace. We saw it in Copenhagen only recently. We have seen it in Romania. We have seen it in many countries, such as Poland and Estonia, in recent days and weeks. We are not immune from these threats either in any matter or means. It is a very construction suggestion. I will certainly engage with Government colleagues on it. I am happy and eager to engage with the Opposition on it too.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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On the frozen assets, the Ukrainian ambassador made the point that the lawful of frozen Russian assets must become central to reconstruction. What is the view of the Government on that? That reconstruction would be around the rebuilding of infrastructure, supporting of victims and enabling the return of displaced Ukrainians. An estimate of €300 billion in assets internationally remains frozen globally, including close to €2 billion in Ireland. The Ukrainians are certainly of the view that these resources should serve peace and not remain unused while destruction continues. What is the view of the international community specifically on the assets not remaining unused?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland agrees with that principle. The European Union is clear that Russia needs to pay for the destruction. What we also need to do - and based on what the Deputy said, the Ukrainian ambassador is correct - we have to find lawful ways of doing this. We have to work with international partners. There are some member states in the Europe Union that have concerns around this for a whole variety of domestic economic reasons. They need to be teased through as well. If there was a way forward to better utilise that resource, how do we utilise it? Some member states talk about utilising it for the immediate military needs of Ukraine. We do not get directly involved in that in terms of lethal military equipment because of our neutrality. There are also the budgetary needs of Ukraine, which are real, and the reconstruction needs as well.

I would hope we would see some sort of blended approach where we would be able to utilise such resources for a variety of purposes, including the reconstruction. The broader point of all of this is that we all hope we can get to a point where we start talking about reconstruction. That is why we really need to see in the coming days if the next phase of work being proposed by President Trump can yield progress in terms of getting Putin to a negotiating table where he would meet with President Zelenskyy and try to negotiate an enduring peace that respects the territorial integrity of Ukraine.