Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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51. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the recent United Nations Security Council meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48884/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As of 30 September, the Security Council has met 33 times so far in 2022 to discuss the situation in Ukraine. Ireland has pushed for the Council to hold Russia accountable, to urge it to end its illegal war in Ukraine immediately, and to call out Russia’s cynical attempts to use the Council and other UN bodies to spread disinformation.

On 22 September I addressed the Council and briefed them on my most recent visit to Ukraine. I made clear Ireland’s strong support for Ukraine, and called for dialogue, and accountability for Russia. In my intervention I made clear that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is the antithesis of the principles of the UN Charter and that it is a grave violation of international law and an attempt to change internationally-recognised borders by use of force.

I called for the Council to collectively consider how it acts to protect the principles and purposes of the UN Charter itself and emphasised that the use of the veto to block Council action is unacceptable.

I recalled the shocking evidence I saw in Bucha in April of Russian forces’ disregard for international humanitarian law and noted that attacks by Russian forces on civilians, and on civilian infrastructure, have intensified further since then. The devastating impact of explosive weapons in populated areas is ever more evident - with tens of thousands of homes, hospitals and schools destroyed. I explained that this is why Ireland is seeking the wide endorsement by States of the Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas, at a High-Level adoption conference in Dublin in November.

I also briefed the Council on my meetings with Ukrainian and UN staff in Odesa the previous week, which focused on the progress of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in getting Ukrainian grain and other foodstuffs onto world markets.