Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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143. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on any recent engagement that he has had with the ambassadors of Ukraine and Russia to Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57536/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I have met with the Ukrainian Ambassador to Ireland on several occasions since Russia’s unjustified and illegal further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The first such instance was in the days following the invasion, to convey Ireland’s solidarity and strong support for the Government and people of Ukraine.

I also met with the Ambassador during my visit to Kyiv in April. During this visit, I discussed with Ukrainian counterparts how Ireland could continue to provide political, security and humanitarian support, as well as how we could best assist Ukraine in its application for EU candidate status.

Officials from my Department are also in regular contact with the Ambassador on a variety of issues, most notably, on how Ireland can continue to support the Government and people of Ukraine. The most recent engagements with the Ambassador include at last week’s high-level international conference in Dublin on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas, which was organised by my Department, and which was attended by a range of ministers and senior officials, UN officials, and high-level representatives, including Ambassador Gerasko. Additionally, officials from my Department attended President Zelenskyy’s virtual address to Irish students at DCU last week, at which Ambassador Gerasko was also present.

I have not met the Russian Ambassador to Ireland in person since Russia’s unjustified and illegal further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Officials in my Department have met with the Ambassador to discuss a range of operational issues, in line with our obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR). This is the international agreement on arrangements for diplomats and diplomatic missions to which both Ireland and the Russian Federation are party.

Despite our strong disagreement with the actions taken by Russia, the Government's view is that diplomatic channels between Ireland and the Russian Federation should remain open. This is in the interests of our own citizens, both in Russia itself and in the five central Asian republics to which Ireland is accredited via our Embassy in Moscow. It also allows us to formally convey the Government's views on the illegal and unwarranted war of aggression by Russia against Ukraine.

At my instruction and in coordination with EU partners, the Russian Ambassador was summoned by my Department on 3 October. He was informed that Ireland categorically condemned the declaration by the Russian Federation on 30 September illegally annexing part of the territory of Ukraine, and would not recognise such declared annexations.

The Russian Ambassador was again called in by senior officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs on 17 November. The Government’s firm objection to the unwarranted and unjustified travel ban imposed on Irish citizens was conveyed. Ireland’s position in respect of Russia’s illegal aggression against Ukraine, and support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and its right to defend itself under Article 51 of the UN Charter, was reiterated.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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145. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the EU General Affairs Council that was held on 18 October 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57845/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne, attended the General Affairs Council meeting on 18 October 2022 in Luxembourg. At this meeting Ministers exchanged views on the topics to be discussed at the 20-21 October European Council meeting, including Ukraine/Russia, Food Security, Critical Infrastructure, Energy, Economic Issues and External Relations. Discussion mostly focused on Ukraine/Russia, where the need to ensure accountability and the possibility of further sanctions measures were considered, and on energy, in the context of the imminent issuance of the Commission's energy package.  

This was followed by a state of play discussion on the Rule of Law in Poland based on the Commission's Article 7(1) TEU reasoned proposal with a particular focus on judicial independence. Recent changes by Poland were welcomed, including the abolition of the Disciplinary Chamber, but it was noted that any reforms would have to ensure judicial independence and full compliance with the Court of Justice of the EU judgments.

Follow up to the Conference on the Future of Europe was also discussed, focusing on the European Parliament's call for a Convention on the EU Treaties and on the organisation of the proposed Conference on the Future of Europe feedback event in December. There was almost complete consensus that now is not the time for convening a Convention and that the Council should await further European Parliament proposals in the coming months.  

Ministers also discussed the European Parliament's proposal for a number of key reforms to EU Electoral Law. Many Member States expressed support for the objectives of the European Parliament's proposals, including to increase the democratic legitimacy of the EU; however, there was broad agreement that the proposals required more detailed analysis, that national voting specificities would need to be considered carefully, and that the timeframe to have the proposed changes in place ahead of the 2024 European Parliament elections was unlikely to be achieved. 

Under AOB, there was a short briefing from the Commission on its Communication “Enforcing EU law for a Europe that delivers” adopted on 13 October. The Commission noted that the Communication was a useful opportunity to show how enforcement actions translate into concrete benefits for citizens and businesses.