These debates on the European Council are a useful opportunity to articulate many issues in the world. Unfortunately, ten minutes would hardly be enough now; 20 minutes would suffice. I want to start by saying how disappointed I am that the European Council spent so little time discussing the biggest conflict in the world at this moment in time, namely, Sudan. It is a conflict that has seen perhaps hundreds of thousands of people killed and millions displaced. Europe and Ireland have close relationships with a country very much encouraging and potentially inflaming the conflict there. It is bitterly disappointing that the biggest conflict and most serious humanitarian situation in the world, a site of immense human suffering, received a fleeting reference in the Taoiseach's statement. At a European Council level, it received effectively no attention. Ireland should take it upon itself to ensure at subsequent European Council meetings that the conflict, tragedy and slaughter receives much greater attention than it is receiving at this point in time. I will touch on a number of areas. Unfortunately, it is difficult to touch on all of them in the limited time afforded to me given the state of the world at this point in time. I want to take this opportunity to condemn the severe and desperate violence against protesters in Iran. The reports coming out of Iran are shocking. The latest reports indicate that perhaps more than 2,000 people have been killed in a wave of repression against protesters. This comes on top of Internet blackouts, thousands of arrests and many people injured. It is very clear that the protest in Isfahan, Tehran and many other cities are significant and represent deep dissatisfaction with the Iranian Government. People have a right to protest and demonstrate and this must be respected. There is no justification for the large-scale repression that is happening. No one should face death or injury for protesting. We express our condemnation of violence, whether against protesters or others, and call on the Iranian Government to respect the rights of protesters to demonstrate and speak out about their entirely legitimate grievances. We are discussing this at a highly uncertain and volatile time. There is conflict in the Middle East, Ukraine, Sudan, Venezuela and many other places. We have an Administration in the United States that has totally departed from the norms of international politics and shaken up its relationship with its allies. It has caused allies to question whether they have allies. At times, that Administration has attacked the Ukrainian Government and backed a policy in Gaza that is totally unacceptable. We still have the potential for escalating trade wars that could have major implications for Ireland and jobs across all economies. There is a crisis in international development as aid projects across the global south are threatened by massive cuts to aid and other countries have also reduced expenditure. There is the threat of global warming. Several countries have failed to meet their obligations under the Paris agreement. The most powerful economy in the world - the US - has withdrawn from the agreement altogether. With regard to the US Administration, we have enormous concerns, as I hope the Government does, regarding the intensified threats made by US President Trump towards Greenland. It is illogical and without any sense or reference to any framework. There is a Danish Government and a Greenlandic Government that are entirely open to dialogue, yet the US Government and President Trump seem to have an obsession with and fixation on the US acquiring Greenland for national security priorities. It is seriously alarming and should be seen in the context of a flagrant disregard for international law and sovereignty. That is very evident in the attack on Venezuela and the detention of President Maduro. These attacks were, in many respects, a naked power grab to gain control of commodities. The track record of the United States in attempting to force regime change by violence has been catastrophic for countries and entire regions. This latest intervention risks more death and suffering. It is not the place of western countries to force regime change and these attacks were quite clearly motivated by commodities. This is a naked power grab to gain control of Venezuelan oil. The US has, in effect, said as much. There are clearly many flaws in the Venezuelan Government, with Maduro and subsequently, and its respect for democracy. However, the democratic process needs to be respected by external actors, including the US, and the Venezuelan Government. Ultimately, the issue relates to sovereignty. John McTernan was head of communications for Tony Blair in that British Government and I note his comments during the course of what has happened. I do not think one has to have a particularly radical opinion to be appalled by what happened to President Maduro. His comment was that, "Most sensible people are sceptical of kidnapping foreign politicians you disagree with", and I think that is entirely right. A lot of this comes back to sovereignty. That is the concern that many countries around the world have at this moment in time. I know it is in the concern of the Mexican Government. I know it is the concern of the Danish Government. It is clearly the concern of the Colombian Government and Cuban Government also. Listening to some of the commentary, it was difficult to know what the Irish Government thought, to be truthful. It did not seem it particularly wanted to say what it thought. Ultimately, I encourage the Irish Government to speak out on behalf of sovereignty and that we have to respect the sovereignty of governments-----

Sentiment score: -0.17

Absolutely, yes. I have acknowledged that and I agree with that but we also have to acknowledge that for other jurisdictions, including Ukraine, Greenland, Denmark and all those other countries I referenced, there has been a precedent set. Regardless of whether the Irish Government likes a particular government, it has to acknowledge that a precedent has been set. If it does not speak out in respect of international law in one instance, it will be constrained from doing so in another instance. It clearly has implications for areas about which Ireland is concerned, such as Ukraine. It very obvious that the invader of Ukraine - the Russian Government of the Russian Federation - may seek to manipulate precedent such as this. It is important that the Irish Government stand on the side of international law in respect of that, as it has historically. That is crucial. I want to take the opportunity to reiterate Sinn Féin's solidarity with the people of Ukraine in the face of Russia's brutal invasion of their country. Four nearly four years now, the courageous people of Ukraine have stood against a brutal Russian onslaught and invasion. We have consistently called for efforts to build a sustainable and just peace. It must be sustainable and just. To ensure that, the Ukrainian people clearly have to be at the table. For too long, efforts have been made to exclude the Ukrainian people from the table and talk over them. Nothing can be decided about Ukraine without Ukraine. Ireland should use its voice to the greatest extent possible to achieve and support an end to the conflict in Ukraine and support its people. I will return briefly to the situation in Sudan, which is truly horrifying. I recognise the Irish Government is one of a number of governments and does not take sole responsibility for the lack of emphasis on a European level on the conflict in Sudan, but we are talking about slaughter on an incredible scale. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of people. It is not even clear where tens of thousands of people even are. The numbers who have left Al Fashir and the numbers who are still in it do not correlate. Tens of thousands of people are potentially unaccounted for, with many likely slaughtered in what is ethnically motivated violence that is being fanned by external actors, including the United Arab Emirates in particular, with a flow of very sophisticated weaponry that is not of a small or limited scale, but of a large scale. Ireland and Europe have a strong relationship with that country. It has to begin to use its voice much more firmly, including at European level. This needs to get much closer to the top of the agenda at European level. Ireland must continue to consistently emphasis the need to maintain humanitarian access to alleviate widespread suffering of the civilian population and to provide humanitarian assistance to support communities in Sudan and those displaced in neighbouring countries. We heard from the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, that the occupied territories Bill would be limited to goods. At least, that is certainly how it was reported. To my mind, what the Government is proposing will create difficulties for it on all sides. If it is looking to address one concern, it is will create more on the other side. It comes back to that point of international law. We are talking about the two-state solution. If the two-state solution is the way forward - it is my view that it should be the way forward - the manner in which the Israeli Government is running away from that, by facilitating settler violence in the West Bank and the proposals it has for Gaza to effectively try to install some kind of viceroyship, is undermining that. The Irish Government has to find ways to exercise its influence. The occupied territories Bill is but one means of that but one crucial way and one in which it can lead the world. If it chooses not to do so, the Government will very much regret that in the years to come.

Sentiment score: 0.11

If we rewind back nine or ten months, an awful lot of people in Ireland, particularly those employed in multinational companies, were very concerned about the threat of tariffs. We have entered into a bit of a frozen situation in that regard. Some headway was made but I would not say the deal that was arrived at was necessarily perfect in every manner or means. The situation as is has already had an impact on certain agrifood sectors, particularly the whiskey industry. The Minister of State might give an update on whether there was any discussion at the Council meeting on whether there is likely to be any shift in the tariffs picture. We cannot take our eye off the ball on that and we also need to look at diversification domestically. During my contribution at the outset I referenced the situation in Sudan. I am not putting all this on the Irish Government by any manner or means but at European level it is not getting the attention it deserves. I ask the Minister of State to comment on that. Literally hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the past couple of years and there are millions of people displaced. It is going on and shows no sign of abating. I ask the Minister of State and the Irish Government to use whatever influence they can at the next Council meeting to try to push it further up the agenda.

Sentiment score: -0.06