Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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192. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the High Representative of the European Union on Foreign Affairs and Security Policy was speaking on behalf of the Government when she spoke about Irish neutrality and history in the European Parliament on 19 June 2025; if the Government consented to this position being articulated by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union through a Council decision in line with the Treaty on European Union; if he will write to the High Representative seeking a correction of the assertion that Ireland did not suffer atrocities or the suppression of its culture and language in the context of the Ballymurphy massacre, Bloody Sunday, the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, the shooting of innocent civilians by the British state, internment without trial, widespread discrimination in housing and employment, long-standing official opposition to Irish-language rights in the North, the civil rights movements in the North and in the Gaeltacht in the post-World War II period to fight against suppression, and the ongoing barriers to the implementation of full equal status for the use of Irish as an official language within the European Union institutions themselves; and if he will invite the High Representative to meet with campaigners, victims, and families affected by legacy issues as a result of atrocities and the suppression of culture and language in Ireland. [35010/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The role of the High Representative of the European Union on Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is set out in Articles 18 and 24 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). They establish that the High Representative shall conduct the Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and represent the Union for matters relating to CFSP. The High Representative, who is also Vice President of the Commission, presides over the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) and ensures consistency of the Union’s external action. Article 27 of the TEU designates the High Representative as the Union’s representative for CFSP matters, who has responsibility for ensuring implementation of the relevant decisions adopted by the European Council and the Council. Accordingly, while the High Representative is tasked with representing the Union with respect to CFSP matters, this does not equate with speaking on behalf of the Government in all instances.

As you will be aware, Ireland’s policy of military neutrality has long been an important strand of our independent foreign policy. The policy means that Ireland does not participate in military alliances or mutual defence arrangements. There are no plans to alter this policy of military neutrality.

Ireland, like all people and societies, has been shaped and moulded by its difficult history. This history is well documented and there is no doubt that the Famine, the War of Independence, and the Troubles are central to this shared and difficult history. We are committed and willing to share the lessons of our past, such as the peace process and Good Friday Agreement, which marked the end of almost thirty years of violence, in the hope they may support and inspire peace, understanding and reconciliation elsewhere.