Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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73. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will report on his attendance at the recent informal Meetings of EU Defence Ministers. [48982/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I attended the most recent informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers, which took place in Copenhagen on the 28th and 29th of August 2025. The three main topics on the agenda for this meeting were EU military support to Ukraine, Defence Readiness, and CSDP Missions and Operations.

Discussions around EU support to Ukraine took place against the backdrop of a significant Russian missile attack on Kyiv which killed 14 civilians and damaged the EU Delegation building in the city. This session covered issues around the provision of financial support via the EPF, the continuing delivery of training via EUMAM Ukraine and the EU's role in security guarantees for Ukraine. This session was attended by the Ukrainian Minister of Defence Denys Shmyhal and NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska.

In terms of Defence Readiness, discussions sought to build on the work done at the June European Council where Member States identified nine priority areas for investment and capability development. These priority areas include areas of potential interest to Ireland such as critical infrastructure protection, cyber defence and maritime surveillance. During this session, Ministers discussed potential ways to close the most urgent capability gaps.

The session on CSDP Military Missions and Operations foregrounded the importance of these EU missions to global security. Among other aspects, Ministers discussed ways to ensure these missions and operations work closely with the host and partner countries to address their needs. Ireland participates in and supports the continuation of EU Missions and Operations, in particular Operation Althea, EUMAM Ukraine and Operation Irini where Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed.

In light of the recent decisions taken around UNIFIL and the end-date of December 2026 proposed for that Mission, and in terms of demonstrating continued international support for Lebanon, I took the opportunity to raise with colleagues the possibility of future CSDP engagement to support the Lebanese Government and its Armed Forces.