Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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17. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting of the EU Council in Prague. [51381/22]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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18. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the Prime Minister of Ukraine in Prague. [51382/22]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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19. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting of the European Political Community in Prague. [51383/22]

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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22. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the European Political Community meeting in Prague and the informal European Council meeting. [51662/22]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 19, inclusive, and 22 together.

The first meeting of the European Political Community on 6 October was a welcome development in wider European political engagement. It was hosted by the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, with the support of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.

44 States were invited to participate, including all 27 EU Member States, the European Free Trade Agreement partner countries – Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the UK, Türkiye, the six Western Balkans countries; Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo; and five of the six Eastern Partnership countries; Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova and Ukraine. No invitation was extended to Belarus, given its ongoing facilitation of Russia’s aggression.

The meeting achieved its primary aim of bringing together leaders from across the continent of Europe to recognise the considerable degree of common cause among us. The formal agenda included Ukraine, energy, and the European economy.

Whilst at the European Political Community meeting, I participated in a roundtable discussion on energy, climate and the economy.

I was very pleased also to have bilateral meetings with Ukraine, Albania and Bosnia while in Prague.

The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal expressed his appreciation that Ireland continues to be to the forefront of advocating for Ukraine’s membership of the European Union, for the toughest possible sanctions against Russia and for holding Russia accountable, and that we are hosting over 50,000 Ukrainian people in need of protection. I assured him of our continued support at this time of terrible need in Ukraine.

The members of the European Council held an informal meeting in Prague on 7 October. Our discussion was a strategic one covering the topics of Ukraine, energy, and economic issues in order to inform and prepare for the regular meeting which subsequently took place on 20/21 October.

We discussed Russia’s war against Ukraine, including the impact it is having on energy prices in Europe. We were joined in this discussion by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy via video conference.

We welcomed the eighth package of sanctions against Russia adopted on 6 October.

We confirmed our resolve to work with and support partners across the world in tackling food security issues exacerbated by Russia’s war.