Gino Kenny
Question:25. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Defence if he will report on recent engagements he has had with his European Union counterparts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13469/22]
View answerThursday, 10 March 2022
Questions (25)
Written answers
An informal meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Defence format took place by video conference on Monday 28 February. At this meeting, discussions focused on the current situation in Ukraine, following Russia's unprovoked and unjustified military invasion and the efforts already underway in terms of support to Ukraine through the European Peace Facility (EPF) Assistance Measures.
A package of €500 million in military assistance for Ukraine was agreed by EU Member States. This is split between two separate EPF assistance measures, focusing respectively on (i) supplies not designed to deliver lethal force, such as personal protective equipment, first aid kits and fuel to a total value of €50 million and (ii) a lethal assistance component, valued at €450 million. Ireland's contribution, which will be provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs, will be exclsuively towards the first measure for non-lethal assistance.
Prior to this, an Informal Meeting of Defence Ministers took place in Brest, France on 12 and 13 of January. At this meeting, a working dinner attended by representatives of NATO and the UN took place on the topic of “interferences and actions of state and non-state actors in our operational theatres”. Following a short presentation on Current Affairs a working session was held on “Safeguarding the EU’s strategic interests in contested domains: focus on outer space”.
A joint meeting of both EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of Defence took place over a Working Lunch to discuss the first revision of the draft Strategic Compass text. At this session, Ministers provided their first reactions to the revised text with a view to providing guidance for further work within the Council. Ireland welcomed the progress on the Strategic Compass as set out in the revised draft and urged a continued emphasis on multilateralism and the importance of the EU-UN strategic relationship. Discussions on the Strategic Compass are continuing at official level in Brussels. EU Foreign and Defence Ministers are expected to resume their consideration of the text on 21 March in Brussels.