Shane Moynihan
Question:1. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on climate action, environment and energy will meet next. [9171/25]
Ceisteanna - Questions
Cabinet Committees
Shay Brennan
Question:2. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on climate action, environment and energy will meet next. [9482/25]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:3. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on climate action, environment and energy will next meet. [9489/25]
Paul Murphy
Question:4. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on climate action, environment and energy will next meet. [9492/25]
Ivana Bacik
Question:5. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on climate action, environment and energy will next meet. [9457/25]
Malcolm Byrne
Question:6. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on climate action, environment and energy will meet next. [10805/25]
Naoise Ó Cearúil
Question:7. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on climate action, environment and energy will next meet. [10807/25]
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Question:8. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on climate action, environment and energy will next meet. [12369/25]
Michael Cahill
Question:9. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on climate action, environment and energy will next meet. [12409/25]
Rose Conway-Walsh
Question:10. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on climate action, environment and energy will next meet. [12468/25]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 10, inclusive, together.
Last month the Government established the Cabinet committee on climate action, environment and energy to oversee implementation of programme for Government commitments in relation to the environment, climate action, energy and emergency planning.
The programme for Government sets out a strong framework for climate action and continues to place it at the heart of the work of all Departments. It commits to a continuation of the publication of annual updates to the climate action plan and quarterly progress reports focusing on a smaller number of strategic and high-impact actions across all sectors, as well as strengthening the climate action delivery board and governance structures. In addition, it sets out specific provisions in areas such as energy, agriculture, the built environment, transport, the circular economy, the environment and adaptation.
EPA figures confirm that greenhouse gas emissions are going in the right direction, showing overall reductions for the past three years. However, we know we have to go further, taking climate action faster and at scale, particularly over the coming five years as we approach 2030.
Membership of the Cabinet committee will comprise the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence and the Ministers for Finance, Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, the Environment, Climate and Communications and Transport, Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Enterprise, Trade and Employment. It will meet quarterly and its next meeting will take place on 7 April.
Storm Éowyn left almost 1 million people without power and water, many for more than two weeks. In response, the Government introduced a humanitarian assistance scheme. The scheme was designed to meet the need for food, clothing and personal items but I have received hundreds of emails and calls to my constituency office from constituents who have received rejection letters. These letters clearly state that the scheme does not cover food, clothing or personal items, the very items that it was explicitly stated would be covered by it. The goalposts keep moving and the most recent moving of the goalposts is the deadline. It appears that the deadline has passed and the scheme has ended, despite the fact that people had no idea this was happening. Can the Taoiseach provide clarity on this? There seems to be a direct contradiction between the rejection letters and what the scheme set out to cover.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Taoiseach as ucht an fhreagra i leith cúrsaí fuinnimh agus an coiste comhordaithe a bheidh ag casadh le chéile. Obviously, one of the items that has been raised by the Draghi report on competitiveness is the need for the EU and Ireland to maintain a focus on competitiveness. Does the Taoiseach agree that pursuing an energy policy that prioritises an abundance and an even more plentiful supply and that takes advantage of our uniquely available national assets and our geographic location, will drive that agenda forward, providing a more plentiful and abundant energy supply? As part of that, hopefully the Cabinet committee on energy will play a proactive role in driving forward that plentiful energy supply and removing any planning blockages that exist so that we can fully exploit the potential we have for maximising our renewable energy supply in this country. This is key not only to garnering and protecting our competitiveness but is also fundamental to providing a cheaper energy supply that, in turn, will deliver better living standards for our people. Part of that is equipping the planning system to make sure it has the critical skills in place to ensure there are no logjams where we do want to exploit a more plentiful energy supply. The Government must take a proactive role to make sure that micro-level considerations are not necessarily trumped by the macro-level objectives that we need to have to achieve that more abundant supply.
Ireland has one of the best offshore wind resources in Europe, yet progress in developing the sector has been slow due to regulatory hurdles, infrastructural challenges and delays in project approvals. Given the urgent need to decarbonise our energy system and meet our 2030 climate targets, what specific actions is the Government taking to streamline the planning process, attract investment and ensure that Ireland becomes a leader in offshore wind energy?
The Central Bank in its latest quarterly report issued another damning indictment of the catastrophic failure of Government housing policy. One aspect of it that relates to this subcommittee is the fact that deficits in water infrastructure are now a major impediment to delivering the volume of housing necessary to address the housing crisis. I wonder if there is any joined-up thinking going on in terms of the enormous volume of water usage by data centres and the proliferation of such centres.
We already know they use up 20% of our electricity, and they are driving up energy costs for ordinary householders, but what about water usage? In Clonee, Meta's data centre, which is only one data centre, uses 2.5 million litres of water per day. This is the same volume of water usage as the entire city of Athlone with 21,000 people. We have 82 data centres in this country with 18 more on the way. Do the maths. If the lack of water is now a major impediment to putting roofs over the heads of people affected by the housing crisis, how on earth are we continuing to allow data centres, which are sucking up vast amounts of the inadequate water resources available to us to make a profit for a tiny number of companies? Is the Taoiseach looking at their water usage and the extent to which it is now an obstacle to us having the water necessary to build the homes we need to address the housing crisis?
Does the Taoiseach accept that since his return to office he has been effectively ripping up the climate Act? He has been greenlighting limitless expansion of data centres and AI powered by fossil fuels. When he was in the US, he gave out about the demonisation of data centres. He rescinded the Government policy statement against fracked gas. Earlier he said we cannot object to fracked gas coming in. The Government has approved a so-called State-led LNG storage terminal. The Taoiseach has welcomed the granting of planning permission for a fracked gas power plant as part of a commercial LNG terminal in Kerry. The so-called State-led LNG terminal, which is supposed to be an emergency reserve, is in fact to supply 95% of domestic gas usage with filthy US fracked gas. It is the most polluting fossil fuel on earth, which activists have fought so hard to ban only for the Taoiseach to try to smuggle it in the back door with the dirty deals with Trump. How can the Taoiseach justify imposing the cost of this onto ordinary people? What will be the impact? How much will they have to pay for this rip-off fracked gas and LNG terminal?
The latest warning today from the World Meteorological Organization is stark. We know that human-induced climate change has reached new extremes and some consequences are, sadly, now irreversible. The Government is simply not being proactive enough to meet our essential targets for emission reductions. On "Morning Ireland" today, Peter Thorne, chair of the Climate Change Advisory Council, expressed frustration, stating he does not even know whether the Government is listening. Yesterday An Bord Pleanála granted permission to Shannon LNG for a commercial power plant in the Shannon estuary. This development flies in the face of any sensible or responsible climate policy aimed at addressing climate change. Our climate representative, Deputy Ciarán Ahern, has outlined his strong opposition and our party's opposition to this highly polluting power plant and to the importation of fracked gas. We call on the Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, to intervene to stop this going ahead and, instead, to develop State-backed offshore and renewable energy generation capacity. This is what we need. The Taoiseach spoke about the demonisation of data centres but looking at the proliferation of data centres, and the enormous usage of electricity constituted by data centres, which use more than 20% of our electricity, we have to take a more responsible approach to meeting our climate targets and to ensuring that climate policy really does run through all Government decisions, as the Taoiseach said it should.
Given the recent devastation, which was widely reported and debated in the House, caused by Storm Éowyn, which resulted in widespread power outages and damage amounting to hundreds of millions of euros, the Climate Change Advisory Council has urged immediate action to prepare for future extreme weather events. It recommends establishing a national climate damage register to track the economic, social and environmental impacts of such storms. Will the Taoiseach consider establishing such a register? When will the Cabinet committee on climate action, environment and energy next sit? I know the Taoiseach is eager, as is this side of the House, for the committees to get up and running but the Opposition has been holding on. We need to get on with the business of the House and the business of Parliament.
No, that is not true.
Let us do it now.
The Opposition is not obstructing.
We called for it.
After years of campaigning, yesterday was a fantastic day for Kerry and Ireland, and especially for north Kerry, with the granting of planning permission by An Bord Pleanála to Shannon LNG for a 600 MW power plant on the Tarbert-Ballylongford land bank. It will create more than 1,000 jobs during construction and more than 100 permanent jobs thereafter. This decision is fully consistent with the climate action plan and will be a lifeline and game-changer for the north Kerry region, similar to the south Kerry greenway in the southern part of the county. With the completion of the security of supply review two weeks ago, will the Government confirm there is no policy objection to a private sector gas terminal? Will the Taoiseach also confirm that the Government fully supports the project, which I believe is the correct way forward for Ireland, especially during the circumstances that prevail in eastern Europe?
As a Member who fully appreciates the need for us all to drive, and drive enthusiastically, the development of the renewable energy sector, I am very conscious that the concentration in recent years has been on the offshore energy sector. It would be beneficial to all of us to have a clearer understanding of the timescales involved in the development of this sector. We have spoken about being able to become net exporters of energy. There are those in the sector who tell me this is a very long way away. While all of this is happening, we are seeing throughout the country an increase in the number of biogas plants being developed. They are very positive when they are happening at farm level but when they begin to take on an industrial-scale size, they pose some practical difficulties in some areas and we do not appear to have a national strategy to deal with them. The question of battery energy storage systems is also problematic, not least because in this country we do not appear to have the technology to deal with fires that might occur in situations where large-scale battery energy storage systems have been developed. When will something be done by way of a strategy in this regard?
We know, regrettably, more severe weather events will hit our country in the time ahead and how the State responds to them, particularly in terms of how it supports people who are impacted, will be very important. During and immediately after Storm Éowyn, Ministers, including the Taoiseach, promised those people who were financially impacted and who were suffering as a result would be supported, and they were continuously pointed towards the humanitarian assistance scheme. I estimate that in recent days tens of thousands of people, if not more, have received rejection letters to their urgent appeals to the Government for support after the impact of Storm Éowyn on their families as a result of the power outages, in particular in respect of the need to discard frozen food. The Department now tells us that frozen food it is not an acceptable compensatory item, even though it is probably the single greatest expense that many families endured. Will the Taoiseach intervene with the Department of Social Protection and ensure those people financially impacted as a result of the fact that they had to discard food from fridges or freezers will be compensated in some small way?
Quite a number of Deputies have asked questions. With regard to the broader picture, the humanitarian assistance scheme has not closed yet. This is my understanding. I think it has been extended. I spoke to the Minister this morning about it and I will clarify it. This is the position as I understand it. The Minister is evaluating the applications that come in.
The existing scheme is catered for in regulation, so it is not moving or shifting the goalposts. In the programme for Government, we identified the need for a more comprehensive bespoke scheme to deal with events of the nature of Storm Éowyn.
I agree fully with Deputy Moynihan regarding energy. For the information of all Deputies, the agenda is to get to 80% of electricity generation coming from renewables by 2030. That objective has not changed. The suggestion from Deputies Moynihan, Bacik, Murphy and Boyd Barrett is that we have torn up the climate Act. We have not. That is a false assertion. However, Deputy Moynihan's point is very valid. If I listen to others in the House, they are saying, essentially, that we are in goodbye-to-the-economy territory.
When you go to the US and other places, you meet people like those at Hanley Energy, for example. That company's technology is in every data centre in the world. It employs 800 people, including 400 in America and 400 here. Its technology is all about reducing and about doing everything possible to moderate the energy output of data centres and so on. In the context of the AI revolution, we have, essentially, had a moratorium on data centres for the past three or four years. If the Deputies opposite are suggesting that we extend that moratorium for another five years, we will have a real problem with our economy.
Some moratorium.
Deputies Bacik and Murphy and other Deputies should start thinking very quickly now about how they see the economy evolving. They should dispense with all the sound bites and get down to the substance of should happen. Do we think we can just park ourselves at the side of the road while this massive, profound change is occurring in technology and then just pick it all up again in five or six years' time? We will not be able to do that.
We have a huge challenge in the context of competitiveness. How do we match the AI revolution and the extraordinary energy it consumes with the challenges we face between now and 2030? On Deputy Brennan's point, two auctions in respect of wind energy have been successful, notwithstanding the changes. The previous Government had to set up the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, MARA, and entirely new infrastructure to deal with offshore wind energy and maritime planning. It needs to move fast. As stated, two auctions were held. There is a very good chance offshore wind farms will be in place, and hopefully in production, by 2030 or 2031. We do not need any objections to those because wind is the only option for Ireland in the context of the existential climate change that we face. There will, however, be a need for a transition fuel, and that transition fuel will be gas. There is no point in pretending otherwise; it will be needed. We need reality to come through.
Gas is worse than coal.
The debate in here is just miles away from reality.
The Taoiseach is miles away from the science.
There is no attempt at all to try to deal with the interdependent issues and the challenges that come with them. People are just demonising data centres. If you demonise data centres, every day-to-day usage of mobile phones or whatever will come to naught. That is the reality.
No, it is not.
It is fundamentally the reality. In my view, the Deputy is fundamentally wrong in what he is putting forward.
Deputy Brennan referred to regulatory hurdles and so on. We are doing everything possible through MARA to get offshore wind through as quickly we possibly can. That will mean transposition of more EU directives. There is a clause in the EU directive to deal with matters when all else fails. This is the overriding public interest clause, and it should be invoked in respect of offshore wind generation because the latter is the most fundamental way in which this country can deal with climate and renewables.
There are seven wind turbines.
Solar energy is moving fast in Ireland and can progress even further. A fair point was made by Deputy Ó Fearghaíl in respect of battery storage. In the midlands some development on that front has been made by Bord na Móna. Other countries are using battery storage. If you look at Texas, it is not all about oil there. The relevant authorities in Texas use wind, nuclear, battery storage and solar.
Do not forget to wave, Taoiseach.
Wind is our key ingredient.
On the point raised by Deputy Bacik, when the independent planning board, An Bord Pleanála, makes a decision, if the Government even dared intervened in a decision that would suit the Deputy and the outcome of which she would appreciate, she would cry foul.
I said it this week.
I am stunned by what has happened two or three times today. An Bord Pleanála's decision in respect of north Kerry was referenced and then very quickly conflated as if the Government did it. That is the impression the Deputy is giving.
The Taoiseach welcomed it.
That is the impression all of you have given.
You welcomed it.
Deputies are giving the impression that an independent board, An Bord Pleanála, made a decision as if it was Government policy. That is a false assertion to confuse people and cloud matters. All the Deputies want to do is make the assertion that the Government is rowing back on climate. That is all they want to do, and they will use any instrument to do it.
Do not row back on it then.
It is a fundamentally dishonest political position to adopt. The Deputies either agree with the independence of An Bord Pleanála or they do not, I am now being asked to intervene in An Bord Pleanála.
Does the Taoiseach welcome the decision?
Intervene now.
I have been asked to intervene now in An Bord Pleanála by Deputy Bacik.
After the decision has been made.
Yes, but intervene in what way?
(Interruptions).
The next batch of questions-----
On the frozen foods, under the humanitarian assistance scheme-----
This is what is wrong with the country. We do not accept the independent bodies that are established. We should because otherwise there will be judicial reviews.
Will the Taoiseach-----
Then we ask why we cannot deliver infrastructure and get things moving in the country. It is because the Deputies are pandering all the time-----
Excuse me. We are not pandering-----
-----and are not really interested in economic development. I agree with Deputy-----
Will the Taoiseach intervene in respect of frozen foods under the humanitarian assistance scheme?
I call Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil.
Gabhaim buíochas, a Leas Cheann-Comhairle.
Do I answer first?
Yes, but I wanted to-----
Will the Taoiseach take the opportunity to answer in respect of the humanitarian assistance scheme and frozen food?
I have run out of time. I answered Deputy Lawless; I dealt with that. The Deputy should have come in early. He would have been the first man if he came in earlier but he was late.
I was not on the list. I came in when I came in.
There was no Sinn Féin representative at the beginning of this. The Deputy shouts and roars about it all the time, and his leader is not here.
Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements
Naoise Ó Cearúil
Question:11. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the EU leaders' informal retreat on 3 February 2025. [4389/25]
Martin Daly
Question:12. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the EU leaders' informal retreat on 3 February 2025. [4451/25]
Seán Ó Fearghaíl
Question:13. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the EU leaders' informal retreat on 3 February. [4524/25]
Malcolm Byrne
Question:14. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the EU leaders' informal retreat on 3 February 2025. [4534/25]
Peadar Tóibín
Question:15. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach to report on his attendance at the European Council’s informal summit on 3 February 2025. [5806/25]
Ivana Bacik
Question:16. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach to report on his attendance at the informal EU leaders' meeting in February. [7610/25]
Ruth Coppinger
Question:17. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the EU leaders’ informal retreat on 3 February 2025. [9486/25]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:18. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach to report on his attendance at the informal EU leaders' retreat on 3 February 2025. [9490/25]
Paul Murphy
Question:19. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach to report on his attendance at the informal EU leaders' retreat on 3 February. [9493/25]
Shay Brennan
Question:20. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the EU leaders' informal retreat on 3 February 2025. [11136/25]
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Question:21. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the EU leaders' informal retreat on 3 February 2025. [12370/25]
Rose Conway-Walsh
Question:22. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the EU leaders' informal retreat on 3 February 2025. [12469/25]
Could the Taoiseach provide a report on his attendance at the EU leaders' informal retreat on 3 February? This meeting focused on European defence, addressing critical topical issues such as enhancing defence capabilities and financing EU defence priorities. We have seen the need to improve our own defence capabilities in this country, and I look forward to hearing the Taoiseach's response.
The Taoiseach goes first.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 to 22, inclusive, together.
I attended an informal leaders’ retreat on 3 February hosted by the President of the European Council, António Costa, in Brussels. The main focus of our discussions was European security and defence. The meeting was an important opportunity for leaders to offer strategic guidance ahead of the publication of a White Paper on the topic by the European Commission, which I think happened earlier today.
Issues discussed included how best to mitigate some of the threats and challenges the EU collectively faces, and the capabilities needed to address these challenges. We discussed how new priorities within the security and defence area can be financed. Leaders also considered how to strengthen our strategic partnerships. We are in an individually tailored partner with NATO, for example, on cybersecurity and maritime security. The United Kingdom Prime Minister addressed the meeting's dinner event with respect to the broader security issues that are now facing Europe and the Secretary General of NATO addressed a lunch meeting and gave his organisation's perspective.
As I said, Prime Minister Starmer also joined us for part of the discussions. That was the first time a UK Prime Minister has met with the European Council since Brexit. The UK is an important partner for the European Union, and there are issues we can collaborate. Economically, from an Irish perspective, it is also good to see a more harmonious relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Ireland is and will remain militarily neutral, and that is well understood and respected by our fellow European Union states. Our policy of military neutrality, however, does not remove us from the new types of security threats, nor compromise us helping to create a more secure European Union as we continue to invest and modernise our own Defence Forces.
Continuing support for Ukraine, as it continues to defend itself against Russia’s brutal, illegal and amoral invasion, was also an important aspect of our discussions. In this context, European Union-US relations were also discussed. At a time of heightened tensions around the world, we need a strong transatlantic relationship. Leaders emphasised the need to continue engaging with President Trump and his administration. Following the meeting, I had a short bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Starmer at which we discussed European Union-UK relations and British-Irish relations ahead of our summit.
That is interesting. To get the Taoiseach's attention, I just call another Deputy, and he very quickly got back.
I had my chance but it got complicated.
I do not want to repeat what Deputy Ó Cearúil has said but the meeting of 3 February is part of a series of meetings that are extremely important for Ireland with regard to planning our security and defence.
It is a changed world. We have an unstable Europe and an aggressive Russia. Unfortunately, we have evidence since 3 February that perhaps the US is not going to be a reliable security partner in the future. There are concerns that the future of Europe is being discussed over the heads of European partners in the European Union and the UK by Russia and the United States. That is of increasing concern. It is extremely important that Ireland increases and strengthens its co-operation with the European Union under the common security and defence policy and under PESCO. We realise that we are militarily neutral, but we are not a neutral country. We need to have this debate. We need to strengthen our own defences, both in the sea and in the air. We also need to strengthen our capability with radar. We also need to invest heavily in countering cybersecurity.
For people who feel that Ireland is not at war with anyone, we have been attacked repeatedly by Russia. We have been clear about the attack on the HSE. I know a practice in the west of Ireland, a small business, that was attacked and hacked. It cost the business thousands of euro in ransom and in putting its systems right. We are, unfortunately, in a hybrid warfare situation where Ireland is under attack. We need to take our position seriously. Most neutral countries, or countries that were neutral, such as Finland and Sweden, took their neutrality seriously and developed proper defence systems in their countries. We have been complacent and we need to grow up, mature and take our defence and security seriously. I am delighted that the Government is continuing the policy of co-operating with the European Union and strengthening that relationship.
I find myself in large agreement with Deputy Daly. Like the Taoiseach, I was born in 1960. Back in the sixties, for entertainment we had a very strong diet of American movies, TV programmes and sitcoms. That might have helped us come to the view of the US as the land of opportunity, a champion of democracy and human rights on the world stage and, if you like, a self-appointed world police force. If this was ever true, it certainly is manifestly not true today. The Irish people, our representatives and the Taoiseach are hugely invested in the plight of the Palestinian people and the case of the Ukrainian population. Our commitment to a fair and lasting peace is unquestionable. If we were to look to the US to be an honest broker and a defender of the rule of law and human rights, we see that everything has changed. We see Trump, whose politics repulse me. My revulsion at Trump's politics is not tempered in any way by the fact that he has been elected. Indeed, I am more concerned and apprehensive as a result of that. We see Trump trying to commandeer Ukrainian natural resources, proposing a discussion with Putin on the divisions of the spoils of war, the divisions of land and the remaining resources, such as who will have control of the nuclear power plants. We have also heard his appalling plan that Gaza would become the Mar-a-Lago of the East. I do not know if he wants to own it himself, but he sees American as owning it. This is a travesty and demonstrates clearly to us, and to any sane and sensible person in the world, that we need a new world order. We need new leaders to step forward. I put it to the Taoiseach that our own Ursula von der Leyen and other leaders in the EU such as himself have the capacity to provide the inspiration and moral leadership that we are never going to get from President Trump.
Ireland is one of the most exposed countries in the world to the US trade tariff war. Ireland exports relatively more to the US than most other European countries. Last year, we exported €72 billion worth of goods, €58 billion of which comes under the heading of pharmaceuticals and chemicals. Obviously, the Taoiseach sat in the same room as President Trump, and pharmaceuticals are a target of the US Administration. Under those threatened tariff increases, there would be a situation where these products would become more expensive to people in the US. If that happens, some of those firms will relocate the production of those materials to the US. That will lead to a fall in GDP, in corporation tax and in jobs. It would actually put our own budgetary situation in a very difficult position. We are enormously exposed in this regard. What is the Government's ability to influence the direction? I welcome the fact that the Taoiseach was in Washington DC last week to try to make a case for Ireland in that scenario, but it has to be looked at.
There is a situation where the European Union, in a retaliatory tariff, focused on the issue of Bourbon. By focusing on Bourbon, the EU put Irish whiskey in the sights of the US. A potential 200% tariff increase would make a significant difference. What influence do we have in terms of the EU's decisions regarding the trade war? How can we make sure that it protects Irish interests?
I note that the Taoiseach said the focus of the informal meeting of EU leaders was on security. Clearly, there is a huge threat to European democracy as we see increasing authoritarianism, both from Trump's Government in the US and much closer to home from the threat of Russia on Europe's borders and the threat of the Russian dictator, Putin, and his regime in particular. It is very positive to hear most European leaders standing in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. It is deeply concerning, of course, to see the approach taken by Hungary and the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has repeatedly vetoed collective support at EU level for Ukraine. Hungary has taken increasingly authoritarian actions within its own borders. I note that the Hungarian Government has recently banned LGBT pride. What can the Taoiseach say and do to stand up for LGBT rights with the Hungarian Prime Minister and to ensure that the EU holds firm, notwithstanding Orbán's position, in solidarity with the people of Ukraine?
It is not just in Ukraine of course that we see democracy under threat. I recently attended a conference hosted by the Belarusian opposition. It was inspiring to hear Belarusian opposition leaders speaking out about the dictatorial regime of Lukashenko and the authoritarianism and suppression they face. Can we mark next Tuesday, 25 March? It is Belarus Freedom Day, and it is a day when democrats across Europe should stand in solidarity with the principles of democracy.
The informal EU leaders' retreat in February 2025 focused on an increase in Europe's defence capabilities by 30%. It also discussed other issues of co-operation with the US and UK. I have heard the Taoiseach and other TDs in the Chamber today talk about the fact that we are living in a world that has becoming more brutal, more divisive, more militaristic and more nakedly imperialistic. However, the way to counter that is not for Europe to tool up and arm itself. In fact, some of the people who were supporting the naked imperialism in terms of Gaza are also constituent parts of the EU, namely Germany and France. All of these people are sending weapons and arms for the Israeli attacks on Palestine, for example.
The other thing is that the Taoiseach said he would go to the US and be honest, but he was not honest in that he deliberately foregrounded Donald Trump as being an agent of peace. Now we have seen a brutal attack on Gaza, leaving 400 people dead in the biggest single attack since 2023, and all I have heard from the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste has been very meek condemnation. The Taoiseach has not called it a war crime.
You have not called out what happened. You can roll your eyes-----
I did.
You have not condemned Israel.
I am moving on. The Deputy is eating into her colleagues' time.
I absolutely did. The Deputy just made that up.
The death toll in Gaza in the past two days is estimated to be 1,000. Hundreds have been slaughtered in their beds by Israel. Will the Taoiseach admit and condemn the fact that the horrific slaughter of 50,000 or so people over the past 15 months could not have been done without the weapons provided by the United States under Biden previously and now Trump, whose ethnic cleansing plan for Gaza has egged on and clearly emboldened the Israeli regime to start to commit further atrocities, and the weapons provided by European Union states? These European states, particularly Germany, but also France, Italy and Britain, which is not a member of the EU but which is coming to these meetings, have the blood of dead Palestinians on their hands. Will the Taoiseach acknowledge that fact and condemn it? That is why people will be protesting outside the Dáil tonight and at the weekend.
Please, Deputy.
It is because of the complicity of European and western countries with the slaughter in Gaza.
Can the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach give everyone an equal amount of time?
I am now. I missed it at the start but I will do my best.
Can I point out that we are about 40 minutes over time?
I have only taken the Chair-----
I do not mind. I am not giving out. This could be over by now.
I appreciate that. That is why I am trying my best. I just took the Chair.
This could and should be over by now if the Deputies were following all the rules all the time.
We are not chairing the meetings.
They are trying to dictate to all of us.
I am doing my best to be fair.
During recent European Council meetings, I understand Ireland has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine's bid for fast-tracked EU membership. Could the Taoiseach elaborate on the specific role Ireland has played in these discussions? Has he proposed any concrete measures or timelines to facilitate Ukraine's integration into the EU, especially given the challenges of aligning with EU standards while the country is still at war? How does Ireland balance its support for Ukraine with the concerns of other candidate countries, which may have been waiting for many years to progress their accession process?
I thank the Deputies. I kind of responded to Deputy Ó Cearúil. I agree with what Deputy Daly said. We need to strengthen our defences and capability. What Deputy Daly said about a small business in his constituency is interesting. Some people in the House are oblivious about the level of cybersecurity attacks on the private sector in Ireland. Many companies are spending a lot of money on their cybersecurity defences because it is very disruptive. Universities have been hit. The HSE was paralysed during Covid by the Conti group, which is a group in Russia that did enormous damage. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the level of cyberattacks in Europe has gone up exponentially. The Baltics are experiencing hybrid warfare at the moment, which many believe is emanating from Russia. The consistent theme in European meetings for the past year is the existential threat that Russia poses to European states. I was struck by Deputies Coppinger and Boyd Barrett not mentioning Russia once. That speaks eloquently to the lens through which they look at the world.
I have been on more protests at Russian embassies than-----
On the European Union meetings-----
Russia is a brutal imperialist power. Is that what the Taoiseach is looking for?
The Deputies had their chance and did not even mention Russia. It is a one-way ticket as far as the Deputies are concerned. The fact is that the Baltic countries, Finland, Sweden and others feel there is a genuine existential threat to Europe. Europe feels exposed, and that it does not have the necessary capabilities yet. It needs to enhance its capabilities. That is why there is a build-up and investment in security capacities across all the member states, particularly because Europe may not be able to rely on others as partners in the future and needs to be in a position to have the wherewithal to defend itself-----
And sell weapons to Israel.
-----and its member states. The geopolitical world is changing. The US is clear in saying that it will remain a member of NATO, but it seems to many in Europe that Europe will have to develop its own independent capacities and capabilities-----
To sell weapons to Israel.
-----as will member states. On Deputy Ó Fearghaíl's point, Europe will have to stand up and be the bastion of a multilateral, rules-based order. It will have to maintain its focus on the United Nations in a world where that is being threatened and undermined. There is no doubt of that. Ireland as a small country needs an international, global rules system. It is what we always stood for. Deputy Tóibín mentioned that we are exposed. We are. We should not forget that it is not about goods alone. If one factors in services, one can see that Ireland is actually in deficit in its trade with the US. European Union-US trade, if you factor in services, is about €50 billion in surplus out of approximately €1.7 trillion. America does not look at its services figures at all, but in any trade balance, services have to be factored in as well as goods. We are engaging with companies and with the European Union.
How?
The European Union will take a strategic view on how it responds to whatever tariffs are imposed. We do not quite know yet what tariffs, at which level or in which sectors, will happen. We will know on 2 April and then Europe will take some time, though not too long, to see how it responds. Europe does not want any tariffs. Europe believes that tariffs are damaging to the economy, to jobs and to consumers because inflation will rise as a result of them.
How do we respond?
In response to Deputy Bacik, in the past, I have defended LGBT rights at the European Council meeting in the face of decisions taken by Prime Minister Orbán to curtail such rights, and will continue to do so. Hungary's behaviour on the Council on a number of fronts has been a matter of grave concern in recent times.
In respect of the Middle East, I have condemned the Israeli attack. I have said it is in breach of humanitarian law, as is the refusal to allow aid into Gaza. Ireland has been very supportive of Palestinians, with humanitarian aid, UNRWA and a whole range of other measures that we have taken on the issue. There are different perspectives across Europe and in the United States on the Middle Eastern question.
Brostaigh, le do thoil.
I will indeed. All the focus of Deputy Boyd Barrett's remarks was on the European Union, without a mention of Russia.
The question was on the European Union.
I have said consistently that the conduct of modern warfare is appalling, no matter where is waged. It leads to the killing of civilians in huge numbers. In Ukraine, it has been absolutely appalling. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine, with devastating impacts for ordinary people. There has been massive displacement of 12 million people. The population of Ukraine is estimated to have gone from 40 million to 28 million, which is devastating.
In response to Deputy Brennan, we have consistently called for acceleration, which has created an acceleration on the western Balkan front too. There was a pause in the enlargement of the European Union for well over a decade. There has been much movement over the past two years. I have a geopolitical perspective that the European Union needs to enlarge, otherwise Russia will meddle in the neighbourhood. North Macedonia or Montenegro could be next. We are working with Ukraine, as is the European Commission. It has proven itself responsive and effective in moving forward with the process.
Commemorative Events
Naoise Ó Cearúil
Question:23. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent attendance at the commemoration for the liberation of Auschwitz. [4391/25]
Martin Daly
Question:24. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent attendance at the commemoration for the liberation of Auschwitz. [4450/25]
Malcolm Byrne
Question:25. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent attendance at the commemoration for the liberation of Auschwitz. [4536/25]
Ivana Bacik
Question:26. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent attendance at the commemoration for the liberation of Auschwitz. [7611/25]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:27. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent attendance at the commemoration for the liberation of Auschwitz. [9491/25]
Paul Murphy
Question:28. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent attendance at the commemoration for the liberation of Auschwitz. [9494/25]
Seán Ó Fearghaíl
Question:29. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent attendance at the commemoration for the liberation of Auschwitz. [12018/25]
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Question:30. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent attendance at the commemoration for the liberation of Auschwitz. [12371/25]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 to 30, inclusive, together.
On Monday, 27 January, I joined other world leaders at a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and to commemorate international Holocaust remembrance day. It was a day where we remembered the unique horrors of the Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews from across Europe were murdered in Nazi death camps. The commemoration was probably the last significant one at which survivors of Auschwitz were able to recount first hand the horrors of what happened to them and other concentration camp inmates. We remembered also the Roma, the disabled, the political dissidents, the members of the LGBTQ community and all who were persecuted and murdered without mercy in the camps. We owe it to them to ensure that now, and for all generations to come, we remember and say “Never again.”
In 2025, Ireland will contribute €50,000 to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation to support the preservation of the site and a history that should never be forgotten. My Government remains committed to denouncing and combating antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, intolerance, racism and xenophobia. In recent years, we have witnessed a shocking rise in antisemitism and Holocaust denial, both online and offline. I take this issue very seriously and the Government will continue to work at home and with international partners to tackle all forms of discrimination, including antisemitism. I condemn outright the recent incident of antisemitism witnessed in Dublin. This is entirely unacceptable and completely incompatible with what this country and its people stand for.
In this spirit, we recently endorsed the global guidelines for countering antisemitism and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism. We will also continue our close relationship with the Jewish community in Ireland and ensure that their concerns are heard.
During the commemoration, survivors expressed deep concern over the resurgence of antisemitism and the rise of radical ideologies worldwide. Leon Weintraub, a 99-year-old survivor, highlighted that such ideologies preach hostility and hatred towards others, defining racism, antisemitism and homophobia as virtues. In light of these alarming trends, how does the Government plan to strengthen and implement the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism within Ireland to effectively combat and prevent such hatred in our society?
Auschwitz is a reminder of an extreme racism that allows the categorisation of whole populations of people, who become dehumanised and are then exterminated. I have not been to Auschwitz but my family have been there and they said it is a very sombre event. We need to remember not just the Jewish 6 million who were killed but also the gypsies, the disabled and many other categories of people who were exterminated by the Nazis. It is extremely important that Ireland has announced its endorsement of the global guidelines for countering antisemitism and has agreed to that definition. It is important to remember racism, antisemitism, fascism and extreme ideology but, at the same time, to retain the right to criticise Israel without being confused as being antisemitic. It is extremely important for Ireland to retain that view. I would appreciate the Taoiseach's view on that.
I welcome the Taoiseach's recent attendance at the commemoration ceremony for the liberation of Auschwitz. It is particularly important as we see a rise in fascism and authoritarianism worldwide and a terrible rise in antisemitism. It is very important that the Taoiseach attended to represent Ireland. I always attend the commemoration in the Mansion House on national Holocaust memorial day and would urge parliamentarians on both sides of the House to do so. It is a powerful and moving event, which I attended this year on 26 January. I commend the Holocaust Education Ireland organisation that organises it. President Michael D. Higgins spoke at it and made a powerful, moving and sensitive speech.
We in Labour condemn racism and antisemitism. Is the Government going to take action on hate speech legislation, which was parked, shall we say, during the time of the last Government? In the context of the disturbing rise in antisemitism and hate speech worldwide, it would be useful to reconsider that.
On 16 January, the Taoiseach announced Ireland’s endorsement of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism. It is acknowledged that there are concerns about aspects of that definition. Did the Taoiseach instead consider the 2021 Jerusalem declaration on antisemitism, which includes a better definition of antisemitism drafted to address some of the concerns with the wording, which linked criticism of Israel with antisemitism. It is important that we have the right to criticise the state involved in bombarding civilians.
All my active political life, I have been campaigning against antisemitism and racism and campaigning to remind people of the horrors of the Holocaust. When David Irving, the Nazi apologist, came to meetings in this country to deny that the Holocaust ever happened, I was the organiser of the protests against it. I arranged for Jewish Auschwitz survivors to tour this country, to speak on national television and to speak about the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust against the Jewish people. It is precisely because we must remember the horror that the Holocaust was, and say "Never again", that we must not put any impediment in the way of calling out other instances of dehumanisation, racism, apartheid and genocide, particularly when those guilty of genocidal crimes, as Israel is now, and in the dock in the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice for genocide and crimes against humanity, are using the memory of the Holocaust to legitimise its crimes against the Palestinians.
In that context, we have the adoption by the Government, without any notification, of the IHRA definition, which it knows is controversial and which says, for example, that it is antisemitic to describe the Israeli state project as a racist state project. It says that in the guidelines. Many Jewish Holocaust survivors have condemned that definition because it is loaded in favour of the state of Israel and yet the Government decided to adopt it without any proper debate about the context.
I appreciate the comments by Deputy Daly. We can never forget the exceptionalism of the Holocaust. It is important that we mark it and that is why I was determined, as Taoiseach, to visit Auschwitz for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. In particular, it may be the last occasion when we hear the voices of actual survivors.
With regard to retaining the right to criticise Israel, that will be retained. There is nothing in the actual guidelines. There was a clause explaining-----
That is not true. You are misleading people.
Will the Deputy stop? I have never interrupt him but he keeps on interrupting. Will he even allow me to finish a sentence? It is not in the guidelines themselves, although there were explanatory clauses. We made it very clear that we retain the right to criticise Israel. The fact of the matter is that fellow, like-minded EU member states signed the IHRA guidelines a long time ago, including Spain, Slovenia and others. Did that impair their capacity to criticise Israel? They joined with us in terms of the recognition of the Palestinian state, for example. It does not stack up. The American guidelines that we signed are important, in my view, because there are attempts out there now to portray us as antisemitic. That needs to be met head-on. We are not, the Government is not and the Oireachtas is not. We have to be assertive in articulating unambiguously our position in regard to antisemitism.
I have met the Jewish community in Dublin. I understand that the war in Gaza and the horrendous attacks in Gaza have created an atmosphere in Ireland. Many in the Jewish community do not feel comfortable-----
Many do not feel comfortable with that definition. Why does the Taoiseach not deal with that?
Let me finish my point. I am answering the question. It is an important point to state in the House. Many in our Jewish community do not feel comfortable with the atmosphere out there at the moment in going about their daily lives and, more worryingly, do not feel comfortable with outward manifestations of the fact that they are Jewish.
We have to be alert to that. We have to deal with that in our schools to make sure that is not a factor. Many people within our Jewish community have different views, as the Deputy correctly pointed out. Some do not support what Prime Minister Netanyahu is doing but we cannot conflate criticism of Israel and what Israel is doing - or blame for what the Government of Israel is doing - with the Jewish community here or elsewhere across Europe. This is important because, historically, we had a very good tradition in this country. In particular, the 1937 Constitution provided for protection for our Jewish community. With regard to my city of Cork and my party, founding members of our party were members of the Jewish community. Robert Briscoe wrote a great book, entitled For the Life of Me, detailing his role in travelling the country forming cumann Fianna Fáil. His son, Deputy Ben Briscoe, sat in this House and both were Lord Mayors of Dublin. The Lord Mayor of Cork, Gerald Goldberg, was a member of our party. Likewise, Mervyn Taylor-----
Mervyn Taylor-----
-----was a member of the Labour Party and had a very distinguished career here in terms of equality legislation in particular so there is an honourable and very positive Jewish tradition in Ireland and I think this is something we must protect. It is a small community. That is the context.
In response to Deputy Bacik on hate speech legislation, that Act was amended last year. We just went ahead with the penalty side of it. There was a lot of opposition and resistance in light of what is happening on social media. That was regrettable in my view. The European directives are clear on that. What happened in terms of the legislation last year was to facilitate higher penalties for those convicted of hate speech.
The Holocaust remembrance is excellently organised and has been through the years. It has always been free of controversy and I hope we can get back to that situation and engage with the Jewish community in Ireland in terms of how we properly remember the Holocaust. By and large, our primary and secondary schools have been strong on that down through the years.
Regarding the impact on Europe, Deputy Boyd Barrett referenced other countries' attitudes. Germany has a completely different perspective on the Middle East because of the Holocaust, it seems to me. I think its former Chancellor said that the raison d'être of the German Government was to protect Israel. That is historically how they see it. It is completely different to the atmosphere and views in Ireland and how Ireland would see things. We work and engage to try to change perspectives. Our focus has been on ending the war in Gaza, demanding a comprehensive surge in humanitarian aid, then working on the Arab peace initiative to get peace in Gaza, guaranteeing security for Israel and getting the hostages released.
As long as German and American weapons flow, the genocide continues.
Deputy Boyd Barrett attacked Germany. He has never attacked Hamas. He has never condemned Hamas for 7 October.
There would be no Hamas if it were not for Israel committing these crimes.
I have invited the Deputy on a number of occasions to condemn the Hamas attack on 7 October and he has refused every single time. That kind of moral equivalence is reprehensible, to be honest, because what happened on 7 October was reprehensible, and-----
Hamas did not exist 25 years ago. Israel has been committing crimes for decades.
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Written Answers are published on the Oireachtas website.