Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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128. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on and the detail of Ireland’s non-lethal aid to Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13666/22]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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146. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the details of Ireland’s contribution to the European Union peace fund; the way that contributors will contribute to the provision by the European Union of both lethal weapons and other products needed to support the people of Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13370/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 146 together.

Ireland is committed to enhancing the EU’s ability to promote international peace and security in support of the principles of the United Nations Charter. Our participation in the European Peace Facility (EPF), an off-budget instrument established by the EU in March 2021 and aimed at funding EU Common Security and Defence Policy actions, is part of that commitment.

The EPF is one element of a broad set of EU foreign policy instruments, which support sustainable development, humanitarian action, conflict prevention and peacebuilding. The EPF is used in particular to fund the military and defence aspects of partnerships with regional organisations and third countries, while other instruments fund the peacebuilding, conflict prevention, mediation, security sector reform and wider development aspects.

In certain circumstances and subject to strong safeguards, funding from the EPF may also be used to provide equipment designed to deliver lethal force. During the negotiations to establish the Facility, Ireland, together with a number of like-minded States, ensured the inclusion of a provision allowing Member States to constructively abstain from measures involving lethal equipment. This removes from the Member States concerned any obligation to pay for the lethal equipment component of an assistance measure.

In 2021, the EU adopted seven EPF measures to provide non-lethal assistance in support of Georgia (€12.75 million), Moldova (€7 million), Ukraine (€31 million), Mali (€24 million), Bosnia and Herzegovina (€10 million), Mozambique (€40 million), and the African Union (€130 million).

On 28 February 2022, the EU went on to agree an EPF package of €500 million in military assistance for Ukraine. For the first time ever, this consisted of a €450 million allocation for lethal equipment, as well as an additional €50 million in funding for non-lethal equipment. On 21 March, EU Foreign Ministers reached political agreement on a further €500 million package of EPF assistance for Ukraine, based on an identical breakdown in terms of resources to the funding package agreed on 28 February.

In respect of both packages, and in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, Ireland will not contribute to the funding of lethal equipment and our support will only go to non-lethal elements. In financial terms, our total contribution is likely to amount to approximately €22 million. In addition to the allocation of financial resources, this also includes the provision by Ireland of some 10 tonnes of ready-to-eat meals and 200 units of body armour directly to the Ukrainian military. These supplies have already been dispatched in recent days.

Separately, Ireland has been responding to the humanitarian emergency in and around Ukraine. Ireland has committed €20 million in humanitarian aid to the situation in Ukraine and in neighbouring Moldova.

In the period ahead, Ireland will continue to work with the European Union, United Nations, and other partners to assess the best means by which we can continue to provide both political and practical support to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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129. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the way in which Ireland is helping countries that border Ukraine to cope with the refugee influx that they are experiencing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15150/22]

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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The solidarity shown by countries bordering Ukraine in taking in millions of refugees over a period of a few weeks has been remarkable. Their solidarity must now be matched by other EU Member States and Ireland will not be found wanting. As of last weekend, over 9000 Ukrainians had come to Ireland, with a whole of Government response being put in place to assist their stay. I would like to pay tribute to all those Irish people who have offered a place in their homes, or who are otherwise helping those Ukrainians who are here or coming here.

I am conscious that Ireland must also assist those closer to Ukraine, already hosting millions of refugees. That is why I allocated one quarter of the initial €20 million Irish Aid Ukraine response package to the UNHCR Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP). The RRP is allocating its €500 million appeal to directly supporting the host countries of Poland, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary.

In addition, €2 million of that support to UNHCR will go directly to is work in Poland and Moldova, who are coping with the largest influxes of refugees.

Given the particular vulnerability of female refugees, €1.5 million in Irish Aid support to UNFPA’s work on protection of women and girls.

A dedicated call for proposals for Irish NGOs ready to respond and support host countries is also being launched.

€1 million in Irish Aid funding is supporting national Red Cross societies, including in Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, and Romania, in their work with Ukrainian refugees.

Ireland is contributing to the Regional Response Plan through Irish Aid core funding to key participating organisations, including UNICEF, IOM, UNDP, UNHCR, UNFPA, WFP, WHO and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). We encourage all our humanitarian partners to use their core funding to respond to the Ukraine humanitarian crisis including by supporting neighbouring countries.

Finally, the EU has also announced a rapid assistance package of €500 million to help civilians affected by the conflict. This will include support to the RRP and additional funding to neighbouring countries.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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132. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the Government supports the decision by the European Parliament to financially sanction Poland and Hungary in the midst of the 1.5 million refugees Poland has taken in in two weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15158/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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It is important to note firstly that it is a matter for the European Commission to decide to financially sanction Member States via the measures provided for in the Regulation on a General Regime of Conditionality for the Protection of the Union Budget. No decision has been taken to financially sanction a Member State pursuant to the Conditionality Regulation.

On 10 March 2022, the European Parliament adopted a resolution welcoming the recent upholding by the Court of Justice of the European Union of the legality of this budget conditionality regulation. The Parliament’s resolution also called on the European Commission to respond urgently to ongoing and severe violations of the Rule of Law through application of the budget conditionality mechanism.

Ireland also welcomed the Court of Justice decision confirming the legality of the budget conditionality regulation. Our position has consistently been that the mechanism is fair and proportionate. We also welcome the Commission’s recent publication of guidelines clarifying how a prospective application of the mechanism would operate in practice.

Amid this illegal and appalling conflict in Ukraine, it is more important than ever that the EU is united and internally strong. I saw first-hand last week in Poland the enormous consequences that Russia's aggression in Ukraine has had, and will continue to have, for frontline EU Member States such as Poland. Similar is true for Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and others. We stand in solidarity with these countries during this tremendously challenging time and I underlined this message of solidarity during my meeting with Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau last Friday.

Notwithstanding this, respect by all EU Member States for the foundational values of the Union, including rule of law, is an integral part of the EU’s strength, including in the face of external threats. Challenges with respect to rule of law standards in Poland and Hungary do continue to present cause for concern. Ireland supports the Commission in exercising its role as guardian of the treaties and ensuring Member States adhere to the EU’s values. We note that the Commission wrote to Poland and Hungary in late 2021 in the context of budget conditionality regulation setting out specific concerns regarding domestic rule of law challenges.

We continue to urge both Member States to engage constructively with the Commission and hope that there will be positive movement to address these concerns and that activation of the regulation will not prove necessary. Should the Commission opt to apply the mechanism however, Ireland will engage fully in any Council discussions.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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135. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the supports that his Department is putting in place for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15041/22]

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland has provided considerable diplomatic support for Ukraine. Ireland’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders is unwavering. Since Russia’s further large-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ireland has stated clearly that this is a blatant violation of the UN Charter and a breach of international law for which Russia must be held solely accountable. Ireland has also engaged intensively at EU level in support of Ukraine, including on the largest package of sanctions in EU history on Russia. Ireland will also contribute to the European Peace Facility’s support of Ukraine through providing non-lethal support.

Ireland joined with 38 other state parties in referring the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court, ICC, to investigate alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Ireland has also acted decisively at the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly in support of Ukraine. 141 UN member states voted in favour of a resolution, which we co-sponsored, deploring Russia’s aggression.

My Department, through the Irish Aid programme, has put in place a €20 million humanitarian response fund, which is being delivered through Irish Aid partners present in Ukraine and ready to immediately provide support to Ukrainians affected by the conflict. Among those partners are the Red Cross Movement and UN agencies, including UN OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNFPA and WHO. In addition, a dedicated call for proposals for Irish NGOs ready to respond is also being launched.

Guiding the Irish Aid response is the need to get resources to those affected as quickly as possible. By supporting trusted partners active on the ground with cash, Irish Aid is enabling them to deliver without delay while protecting valuable supplies channels from being overloaded. This initial Irish Aid humanitarian package puts emphasis on support to refugees, including the protection of women and girls as well as education, on healthcare and on humanitarian response including establishing much needed humanitarian corridors. Ireland is also part of the EU humanitarian response, which since February has disbursed over €93 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

Working with the HSE, and in response to a request from the Ukrainian government through the coordinated EU Civil Protection Mechanism, my officials have supported the dispatch of medical supplies to Ukraine.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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136. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the engagement that he has had with European Union officials in relation to the expulsion of the Russian Ambassador and diplomats from Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14757/22]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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140. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is satisfied that all the activities of the staff in the Russian embassy are compatible with their diplomatic status. [15146/22]

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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158. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if any sanctions are being considered in relation to the diplomatic presence of Russia in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15152/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 136, 140 and 158 together.

Ireland believes we need to maintain the strongest possible pressure on Russia to bring the illegal invasion of Ukraine to an end. We are looking at every available avenue open to us and reviewing the impact of our actions to date. A new EU sanctions package was adopted last week, introducing further restrictions on Russian financial services and the defence and security sector, plus a ban on imports of iron and steel products and exports of luxury goods. We will continue to work with EU partners to agree further sanctions and robust restrictive measures.

Ireland is a party to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 (VCDR), which has the force of law in the State pursuant to the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967. The Vienna Convention recognises the necessity of privileges and immunities for the peaceful and efficient conduct of international relations. The VCDR provides for a number of remedies which are available to a receiving state, including in the event that the actions of a member of the diplomatic staff of the mission, or any other member of the staff of the mission, are not acceptable. This continues to be kept under review.

There is value in keeping diplomatic channels open with Russia, not least to protect our interests and our citizens. Like all of the other responses we have deployed, we will continue to coordinate closely with EU partners to ensure decisions have a meaningful impact.