James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Slava Ukraini.

The conditionalities have been decided through EU regulations. The Commission is obliged to report to the European Parliament and the Council about those conditionalities and how Ukraine disburses and uses the funding. The funding has been disbursed so what we are deciding here is whether Ireland will participate in something that has effectively happened. It is important that Ireland is a participant in this. Ireland has always been to the forefront of ensuring, at European level, that socioeconomic and environmental concerns are taken into account at that decision-making level. Yes, of course we are part of the EU and our voice is heard but it must be heard through the mechanisms that are there to ensure the conditionalities are ones that Ireland would support, which we do.