Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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298. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if the Defence Forces will consider sending military grade equipment to Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12182/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland is continuing to provide strong political and practical support for Ukraine and we continue to assert Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.  

The European Union has agreed a package of €500 million in military assistance for Ukraine in two separate EPF assistance measures, focusing respectively on (i) supplies not designed to deliver lethal force, such as personal protective equipment, first aid kits and fuel to a total value of €50 million and (ii) a lethal assistance component, valued at €450 million. We will pay our full share (approx €10 million) and our funding will go to non-lethal elements.

Since its creation, the EPF has been used for the provision of non-lethal military equipment and support in respect of the AU, Mali, Mozambique, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. In respect of Ukraine, while Member States have previously approved EPF support to Ukraine, the assistance measures have included military education sector and medical, engineering and cyber defence support. This decision will be the first occasion that the EPF has been used to provide military equipment designed to deliver lethal force. 

In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, and the provisions in the memorandum on the EPF approved by the Government in March 2021, Ireland intends to utilise the mechanism for constructive abstention provided for in the Facility in respect of the lethal assistance components.

As such, Ireland will abstain from the decision to supply lethal equipment to the Ukrainian military and will not contribute financially to this aspect. Instead, we will provide a corresponding contribution to the provision of non-lethal support.

In addition, the government is providing €10 millionin humanitarian aid and medical supplies.