Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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17. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the most recent European Council meeting. [12776/22]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I attended a meeting of the European Council on 24/25 March. Our meeting was joined for a period by President Biden and, via video link, by President Zelenskyy.

We discussed the situation in Ukraine from a range of concerning perspectives: humanitarian, migration, energy, nuclear security and safety and reconstruction. We agreed on the establishment of a Solidarity Trust Fund for Ukraine.

We endorsed the Strategic Compass strategy which will provide enhanced political direction for the EU’s approach to security and defence policy for the next five to ten years.

We discussed energy issues including the significant impact of current high prices, and temporary and longer term measures and approaches to help to reduce them.

We also discussed the latest situation on Covid19 – including vaccine production and sharing; economic prospects; the upcoming EU/China Summit meeting in April; and increased political tensions in Bosnia-Herzegovina.