Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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85. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the issue of the Russian Federation abducting Ukrainian children from their families and removing them to Russia was discussed at the European Foreign Affairs council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4232/23]

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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96. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update following his attendance at the Foreign Affairs Council, with specific regard to support for Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4091/23]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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109. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on his recent attendance at the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels; if additional and tougher sanctions against Iran were discussed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4404/23]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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117. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on his attendance at the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 23 January 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4363/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 85, 96, 109 and 117 together.

The Foreign Affairs Council addressed a number of important issues, in particular the ongoing war in Ukraine, human rights violations in Iran, and the EU’s relationship with the Palestinian Authority. We took a number of decisions in relation to these issues and others. 

The Council was addressed by Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, who updated us on Ukraine’s needs. The Council endorsed the provision of a seventh €500 million package of support for Ukraine under the European Peace Facility. As before, Ireland’s contribution of €11 million will go towards non-lethal elements. This will bring Ireland’s total contribution to Ukraine under the Facility to €77 million.  We also agreed to continue coordination of our work on ensuring accountability for war crimes.

We are aware of reports that Russia has engaged in the large-scale deportation of Ukrainian women and children to Russia territory since the beginning of their illegal invasion.  Ireland believes that all reports of human rights violations should be thoroughly investigated, and perpetrators held accountable. At the Council, we agreed to support implementation of Ukraine’s ten step initiative for a just peace.  This includes a demand for the release of all prisoners and deported persons, including more than eleven thousand children who Ukraine previously identified as having been forcibly deported to Russia. The actual numbers deported are likely far higher. The EU has condemned in the strongest terms the detention, abduction or kidnapping of civilians in Ukrainian territories temporarily under illegal Russian military control and demanded their unconditional release. 

The Council met with the Palestinian Prime Minister to discuss how the EU could build its relationship with the Palestinian Authority at a critical moment. I reaffirmed our support for a two-state solution and the need to undertake action in support of it. I also underlined our full support for work towards an Association Agreement between the EU and the Palestinian Authority and recalled that Ireland is urging Israel not to impede upon the critical human rights, humanitarian and development work of Civil Society Organisations in the occupied Palestinian territory. Ministers agreed to set up an annual high-level political dialogue between the EU and the Palestinian Authority.

We discussed the repression of protestors in Iran, as well as the transfer of weaponry to Russia. The Council has responded to these unacceptable Iranian actions by adopting a fourth package of EU restrictive measures, sanctioning a further 18 individuals and 19 entities. We also discussed the issue of Iran’s practice of arbitrary detention of foreign citizens, including dual nationals. 

Over the course of the Council, we also discussed the EU’s engagement in the Sahel and coastal countries of West Africa, established a civilian CSDP Mission in Armenia and agreed on an EU contribution towards implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in Ethiopia, and discussed the EU response to unacceptable actions by the Taliban in Afghanistan, amongst other issues.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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86. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the efforts the Government is undertaking within the international community to attempt to bring about a peaceful conclusion to the war in Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4408/23]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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105. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide details of Ireland’s efforts at EU and UN levels to stop the war in Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4436/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 105 together.

Ireland has consistently used its voice at all multilateral fora, including the UN and the EU, to categorically condemn Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine and the blatant disregard for international law and international humanitarian law it represents.

As an elected member of the UN Security Council for the first 10 months of this illegal war, Ireland consistently used our position to amplify the voices of small countries and to remind the international community that this war is a blatant violation of the UN Charter. 

Addressing the Security Council on 24 February 2022, the day Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine commenced, we called for a return to dialogue and to diplomacy.  In subsequent weeks and months, we continued to use our position on the Council to call on Russia to immediately cease hostilities and withdraw its forces from within Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders.

We have repeatedly condemned the heinous attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and called for full, unhindered humanitarian access to civilians in need.

We have worked to support Ukraine in its pursuit of justice, supporting their cases at the International Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights, and referring the situation in Ukraine to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. We have also supported action at the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, to hold Russia accountable for what it’s doing.

We will continue to use all opportunities to call out Russian aggression, seek accountability and urge a return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy.

Ireland is supportive of the Peace Formula recently announced by President Zelenskyy and agrees that it is up to Ukraine to determine the terms, conditions and timeline for any peace agreement. Ireland is reflecting on how we might best contribute to the objectives of the plan; we are already involved in many of the areas it covers, including food security, accountability and nuclear safety.  We will continue to stand with Ukraine and will work with our partners for a peaceful resolution that respects Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity.