This is just terrible stuff.
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This is terrible stuff. This is shocking.
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From this side.
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On vaccines.
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On vaccines.
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He did not say that. He never said that.
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There is always a bit of confusion about this slot. A range of questions have already been asked and I am more than happy to answer them now. However, the ruling from the Chair is that the questions should be fresh in coming forward. I am in the Chair's hands on this.
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It is always the way.
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The Deputy can ask me anything.
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It might be easier if I just quickly answer Deputy Ó Laoghaire's question because it is likely there will be several questions. On tariffs, there were discussions about tariffs and this particular debate on the margins of the European Council meeting. Discussions between the EU and the US are ongoing. As the Taoiseach already said, President von der Leyen spoke to him on Monday. Commissioner Šefčovič, who is lead for the EU, is in constant contact with the Government and with the Tánaiste. I also meet with him in Brussels. Those discussions are at a very advanced stage. I was not updated this morning because I was dealing with other matters but these discussions are ongoing. We know that the US side has announced an extension but we should be under no illusions; the trading position of the EU, and therefore of Ireland, is highly vulnerable. We are in constant contact with the Commission. I am sure the Commission is well able to handle criticism from Members of the Irish Parliament. We are talking to these people every day about the trading position of this country, which is really important for jobs and economic growth. I can think of many industries in the Deputy's constituency, in my own and in everybody else's that will be impacted by the agreements I hope will be reached and the decisions that may be made by one side or the other. We are working as hard as possible to make sure the Irish economy is protected to the greatest extent possible. That work is ongoing as we speak.
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I will get the Deputy an exact answer on that. As I understand it, we are not part of that. The decision was taken by the Council, of which we are part, and our position is generally to facilitate what other member states want to do. As the Taoiseach has said, we are very clear that defence is a national competency. There is no EU army. If Deputy McDonald said what she said today in a presidential debate, people simply would not take her seriously. It was over the top and outrageous. She spoke about the sons and daughters of Irish parents being sent to European wars. I have never heard that before in the Dáil, although we heard it in some of the referendum campaigns. In fact, we were promised it in 2008 and 2002. Nothing could be further from the truth. I will get the exact position on that but my understanding is that our position has been to facilitate what member states want to do.
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We are working very closely with the Commission. The Council has taken its own decision and that is the position we have taken on the matter. I do not accept what the Deputy has said, which is that we are funding arms manufacturers and research on how best to kill people. That is not happening. There is a country called Russia. Deputy Seán Crowe criticised us and told us not to use Russia as a bogeyman. I know Sinn Féin Members recently went to Malta to sign a memorandum of understanding on neutrality but, if they had gone to Finland, they would have heard the far left, the far right and everyone in between say that Russia is not a bogeyman but a serious threat to that country and that it must protect itself. We meet interlocutors in Finland and Lithuania. The Lithuanians will be over tomorrow and I am sure they will meet the Deputy's parliamentary group. They will tell the Deputy exactly the same. They do not want war. They want peace but they are determined to protect themselves. That is all they are looking to do. We certainly support their right to protect themselves, as any democracy does. Deputy Gibney is very genuine in her point of view but she has said that Ireland, as a country, has refused to lead. However, she went on to quote the report on the EU-Israel association agreement. We led the campaign for that report. It was our diplomacy over a long period to get more countries on board that led to it. Despite what Deputy Bennett said, this is not a leaked report from the Commission. It is a report from Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. She was mandated to produce this report. It was not a secret report done by the Commission. The member states of the European Union voted for this to happen. We led on making it happen and having this report published. It was published a few weeks ago. The Council conclusions talk about follow-up to this report. Again, we led on this report. We could all do more. As I said the last time, the Opposition should criticise Government and look for us to do more. However, I could quote a minister from one particular country who is in the middle ground on this issue. He said that he is not like Ireland and Spain. That is the view. The view is that Ireland and Spain are at one end of the spectrum in the European Union. That is because of our diplomacy and our practical support for the people of Gaza. I believe I heard the Deputy looking for sanctions against Israel outside of the occupied territories Bill. Perhaps I did not pick her up correctly on that but I feel she did. Did she ask for sanctions against Israel rather than just the occupied territories? If she did not, it is fine.
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I am raising the issues the Deputy raised when she spoke.
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I will come back in.
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I will be clear. We have called for follow-up action on the association agreement report. I will attend the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on the issue next week and I will be taking a very strong position that is consistent with what we have done before. The report is brief but it tells you enough about what Israel has done, which is exactly what the Deputy has said. The Government has taken a leadership role in approving the general scheme of the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory Bill. Other countries have come to us directly to seek information on it. We have to be clear on its impact. The Government remains open to including services, subject to legal advice, but, as the Taoiseach said last week, we should be concerned about how the Bill could be misunderstood in the United States. The Taoiseach has highlighted US legislation that is present in many states that could penalise a company perceived to be engaging in a boycott. The Bill is the right thing to do but there is a need for honesty about its impact. The Taoiseach said that last week. With regard to sanctions on Russia, from day one, we were very clear that we did not want to impose sanctions on Russia that would end up doing more harm to us than to it. We have to take a consistent approach. This country is very dependent on trade. All of us, including Social Democrat TDs, represent constituencies in which there are jobs that are dependent on our trading relationship with basically every country in the world. We should strive very hard for follow-up action at the EU level following the publication of the EU-Israel trade association agreement report, a report we called for and pushed for. Our shared goal has to be the end of this and to have two states living in peace and stability. We can never lose sight of that.
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Ukraine is a top priority. I told ambassador Gerasko that was the case. I had an article published in the Irish Examiner this week reflecting on my visit there. I certainly encourage Members of the Oireachtas to visit Ukraine if it is safe to do so. It is never 100% safe, but it should be organised at an Oireachtas level. On my impression of the situation in Ukraine, what really struck home to me was the lack of sleep people are having. We are not trying to compare different situations. Each situation is different, but the situation in Ukraine is a top priority. We are to the fore in supporting Ukraine at various levels. Recently we also signed onto what is called a non-paper supporting qualified majority voting at the intermediate steps in the accession process, not at the start or at the end, which is always subject to unanimity and the veto. At the intermediate steps we have supported removing unanimity because some countries, particularly Hungary, are using that to block progress. On the Shtandart, the Department of Transport became aware of this on Sunday night. The ship would be required to submit a pre-arrival notice. This did not happen. There are restrictions on vessels of this type under EU restrictive measures. The operators would be well aware of this. It may be that they are looking to get a formal response from the authorities. I do not know. The ship has moved. There are derogations from the sanctions. There was no application for derogations. The EU's restrictive measures allow for the refusal of access. The vessel changed its registration from Russia to the Cook Islands in June 2024. The Department has reminded harbourmasters this week of their responsibilities under the EU restrictive measures. Apparently, this vessel has gone to Clogherhead. It has not received any permission to enter Clogherhead port. We think it left Irish waters this morning and we are looking for a report from Louth County Council. That is simply the information I have, and I cannot speak specifically about that vessel. However, there have been other occasions when we have seen hybrid measures by Russia involving this type of activity, designed to confuse and cause chaos, but usually designed to confuse, upset the local system and annoy people. There are various ranges to that but let us see what the outcome is.
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It is relevant because we are talking about a meeting of the European Council and there will be an informal meeting of the European Council in Ireland during our Presidency.
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The final decisions have not been taken as to where the locations will be.
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There are not many places in the country that have the capacity to hold such an event. I have no doubt that whatever decisions are taken, there will be some events in Kerry, and I certainly hope there will be some in Tipperary and Meath.
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I do not know the answer about the one in Bogotá, but we were to be heavily involved in the one France and Saudi Arabia were organising in the UN. In fact, the Taoiseach was asked to chair one of the working groups. What Ireland has done in support of the two-state solution goes back to Brian Lenihan as Minister. We think of all the great Irish foreign Ministers. Even in the conclusions this week, the non-proliferation treaty is mentioned with regard to Iran. That was Frank Aiken. Two former foreign Ministers who sat here were heavily influential on global politics even to this day, in terms of the two-state solution and the non-proliferation treaty. I am proud that is the heritage of my party. I do not know. I will get an answer for the Deputy on the Bogotá conference, but we were to be involved in the important UN conference. I turn to the difficulties with treaties. It is easy for one person to make a decision. It is easy for one person to say "Yes" or "No". We are in a democracy, and there are 174 of us here who make decisions. That is a bit more difficult. It is very difficult to make decisions when there are 27 people representing 27 countries around the table. It was 12 when we joined. Overall, those 27 have made really good decisions, not on every occasion, but overall, they have, and Ireland has benefited disproportionately from the decisions they have taken. On the issue of Israel, as I said to the committee, I strongly urge that Members talk to MPs, Senators or whoever in countries like Germany, Austria or Hungary and ask them why they have these particular positions. I think we all know the answer to that, but it is good to talk to people and engage with them. The problem is not on the Irish side. The Irish side has been really clear from Government level to the Dáil, but we need to talk to our counterparts across the EU at every level. I have done that at ministerial level. I think everybody could, to find out what the reasons are.
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On the simplification agenda, there is an agenda on reporting requirements that we support. What is happening at European Commission level is that every part of the Commission is coming forward with simplification proposals that have to get discussed in the European Parliament and at the Council of Ministers. The idea is to cut red tape, not to reduce our human rights compliance or environmental credentials but to protect jobs in Europe. What motivates me every day of the week is protecting jobs. We cannot have a strong voice around the world unless we have a strong economy. We will be supporting the simplification agenda, but we will be supporting the environmental and social agenda as well. Indeed, in terms of support to poorer countries with overseas development aid, Ireland is on an upward trajectory when other countries are on a downward trajectory.
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The work of the Gates Foundation is very important. I know the Taoiseach recently addressed the summit in Brussels and spoke to Bill Gates. We are aligned with the work that needs to be done around the world to ensure people have better lives and outcomes. We have had a range of statements and questions and there were some other items on the European Council agenda, including Moldova, the western Balkans and EU internal security and preparedness. Migration was discussed and President von der Leyen updated the Council on the work being advanced by the Commission, including its engagements with countries of origin and transit. The Council encouraged an intensification of work with third countries to develop comprehensive partnerships, the implementation of EU legislation such as the migration pact, and efforts to prevent and counter irregular migration and the instrumentalisation of migrants. Leaders took note of ongoing discussions on recent legislative proposals related to returns, the establishment of a list of safe countries of origin at EU level and the application of the safe third country concept. Earlier the Taoiseach outlined that global economic developments, including trade, were discussed by leaders as part of the EU and the world agenda item. The Council further discussed the EU’s preparations for upcoming summits with third countries and relations with partners, including the first EU-Moldova summit, which took place on 4 July in Chișinãu. At the summit, the EU and the Government of Moldova signed a joint declaration outlining our mutual commitment to Moldova’s European future and to the principles that will guide our future co-operation. European leaders agreed that the summit and the joint declaration send a further strong signal to the Moldovan population of the EU’s steadfast support for their country's European future, especially as it faces continued threats from Russia, including hybrid threats aimed at interfering in its parliamentary elections, which are to be held in the autumn. The Council also discussed developments in the western Balkans. The President of the Council, António Costa, provided a debrief to European leaders on his recent visit to that region. Ireland will continue to work closely with the countries of the western Balkans and support the reform efforts they are making on their European paths, as well as advancing the gradual integration between the EU and the region in the enlargement process, in a reversible and merit-based manner. The June European Council conclusions included a first-ever reference to enhancing our preparedness for crises and we welcome that. Ireland is very supportive of the overall all-hazards, whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach to preparedness that the EU is taking. While it is a new approach to most member states, including Ireland, we see the utmost value in ensuring critical capacities and capabilities are in place for the full spectrum of crises we may face. The conclusions also identified serious and organised crime, terrorism, radicalisation and violent extremism as major threats to the Union’s internal security. We condemn all types of hybrid activity against the EU. Turning to external relations issues, the Council welcomed the outcome of the UN Ocean Conference and looked forward to the fourth international conference on financing for development. EU leaders also welcomed the outcomes of the high-level pledging summit for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which I referred to earlier and which the Taoiseach attended on 25 June, the evening before the Council meeting. Deputy Lahart will be interested to hear Ireland has announced it will pledge a further €22 million to Gavi over the next five years, which is an increase on the previous five-year tranche. The Gates Foundation is generous in its support and the British Government has also made an extraordinary pledge to Gavi. The Council also addressed the Black Sea region; the worrying situation in Libya, reaffirming the EU’s support for the UN support mission there; and the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for justice to tell the EU Commission "to get stuffed". I do not think he will do that. I know Deputy Lawless got his TikTok video so maybe he will not be interested in finding out the exact position. The EU is asking Ireland to implement a number of offences that I do not think anyone would have any difficulty with. They involve denying genocide, basically; denying or trivialising the Nazi genocide, the Holocaust; and public incitement to violence or hatred directed against a group of persons or a member of such a group, defined by reference to race, colour, religion, dissent or national or ethnic origin. The Minister for justice will communicate directly with the Commission but it is already an offence in legislation. We have common law in Ireland and incitement to violence on those grounds is already an offence. What Deputy Lawless discussed is not what was discussed last year. It is simply scaremongering to suggest the EU will somehow threaten our freedom of speech. The reality is the EU is now among the few places in the world where there is freedom of speech. There are issues there that are part of the balancing act and which I am not sure anybody would have any difficulty with.
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