Seán Haughey
Question:15. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on European Union and international affairs will next meet. [19385/23]
View answerTuesday, 9 May 2023
Questions (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Question:16. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on European Union and international affairs will next meet. [20528/23]
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Mary Lou McDonald
Question:17. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on European Union and international affairs will next meet. [20324/23]
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Mick Barry
Question:18. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on European Union and international affairs will next meet. [20683/23]
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Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:19. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on European Union and international affairs will next meet. [21529/23]
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Paul Murphy
Question:20. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on European Union and international affairs will next meet. [21532/23]
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Bríd Smith
Question:21. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on European Union and international affairs will next meet. [21535/23]
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Ivana Bacik
Question:22. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on European Union and international affairs will next meet. [21485/23]
View answerMick Barry
Question:23. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Europe will next meet. [21669/23]
View answerOral answers (9 contributions)
I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 to 23, inclusive, together.
The Cabinet committee on EU and international affairs was established by the Government on 18 January 2023. Its role is to oversee the implementation of programme for Government commitments relating to the European Union and international issues. The committee generally meets in advance of meetings of the European Council and we expect it will do so again ahead of the meeting that will take place in Brussels at the end of June.
What are the Taoiseach's views regarding ongoing reports of Russian ships operating off Ireland's west coast, including in our exclusive economic zone? Only last week, four Russian navy and merchant ships were observed close to undersea cable sites. Clearly this must be seen as a threat to the flow of global digital communications in particular. We are now all aware of the threats posed by Putin and the role of hybrid warfare. As I understand it, our critical infrastructure includes natural gas subsea interconnectors, an electric subsea interconnector, and subsea cables that make up our telecommunications infrastructure, many of which link Europe and the United States of America.
What are our Defence Forces, in particular our Naval Service, doing in this regard? Is enhanced maritime patrolling taking place? Have the Defence Forces the necessary capabilities to undertake this work? Is this something that will be examined by the consultative forum that was recently established by the Tánaiste concerning foreign security and defence policy? I am conscious there is an EU directive, the network and information security, NIS, 2 directive, relating to this area. I am interested in the Taoiseach's views on this matter.
I, too, wish to follow up on the Russian ships in Irish waters. We have already heard mention today of the secret air defence agreement with the RAF. There needs to be far more discussion of that and the whole question of military non-alignment. It raises the question of capacity. Considering the humanitarian operation, and we can see much good work was done in Sudan, there are questions to be asked. We have had the Commission on Defence Forces and we live in an age of hybrid and cyber warfare, so we need to make sure we have a review of the dangers we face and the capacity to deal with them.
I need to make an apology. When I brought up the issue of the GAA, I did not mention and wish luck to the players and management of the Louth team. We are hoping for far better luck in the Leinster final than we have had in previous times.
Continue to hope.
I will have to agree to differ with Deputy Ó Murchú on some of that. Two years ago, the European Commission sought to block a citizens' initiative calling for the EU to regulate commercial transactions with illegal settlements. This wrongful act was nullified by the European Court of Justice. Last month, the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions unanimously agreed that the Commission must respond to a petition on EU trade with illegal settlements and that the Committee on International Trade should consider backing a ban. Countries, including Ireland, have a duty under international humanitarian law not to legitimise, albeit indirectly, the transfer of civilians into settlements in the occupied territories, yet that is the shameful outcome of Irish and EU trading policy.
Now that the Commission has been forced to recognise its obligations under international law, surely it is time for the Government to take similar action in the context of its responsibilities by supporting the occupied territories Bill. Under this Bill, trading with illegal settlements would be banned. Will the Government do the right thing of its own volition or will it be forced into a correct course of action? What actions will the Government take to ensure the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, ISIF, divests its holdings in companies on the UN database of companies with business ties to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories?
Yesterday, 40 Israeli jets took part in a bombing operation in Gaza that claimed the lives of three senior officials from the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad and nine civilians, including three children. This comes on top of the most deadly year in decades in the West Bank where, day in, day out and week in, week out, Israel has launched military raids into Palestinian territory, towns, refugee camps and so on. Nothing is done. The European Union does nothing. The Government calls for nothing to be done. We moved immediately on sanctions against Russia, and say repeatedly that we need them, for what it has done in Ukraine. Indeed, we call for the Ukrainian army to resist an illegal occupation of its territory but we say nothing about the right of Palestinians to resist, day in, day out and week in, week out, illegal occupation of their territory, illegal military raids, illegal bombing raids and a siege of Gaza. The list of Israel's crimes goes on. When will there be some consistency in the foreign policy of this Government or the European Union?
Ireland is now the third country in Europe in the context of the number of European works councils, EWCs, based here. It is a requirement under EU law for major corporations to have councils for, effectively, consultation and discussion with their employees. After Brexit, a substantial number of companies moved their EWCs to this country. Millions of workers, therefore, are affected by how EWCs operate here. In recent weeks, we have seen major lay-offs by tech multinationals. We have seen the danger that Ireland will be used as the wild west with regard to workers' rights, as part of a race to the bottom affecting workers here and right across Europe.
The European Commission has found that our legislation on EWCs, particularly as regards disputes, does not live up to the EU directive and has sent a formal notice to that effect to the Government. What is the Government doing to ensure that our legislation meets EU standards, especially as regards allowing for disputes to be taken by EWCs? A significant first case was taken to the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, last week, the finding of which highlighted many issues regarding legislation. One conclusion was that a code of practice on EWCs should be in place. Will the Government commit to introducing such a code of conduct, as exists in many other European countries? Another conclusion of the WRC decision was that the chairpersons of EWCs were effectively shouldered with half the costs of training themselves, which goes against the whole basic principle that it is the company that pays for training and other things to do with the EWC.
I raise the issue of Russians ships off our coast, as others have done. I express concern about this. It is of a particular concern when we note just how brutally Russia continues to bombard Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities this week, more than a year after the brutal invasion of Ukraine. I express solidarity with the people of Ukraine as this awful war continues.
What is the Government's position on the occupied territories Bill? A picnic organised by Amnesty International will take place tomorrow outside Leinster House to highlight the apartheid against the Palestinian people and ongoing repressions of Palestinians by the Israeli Government. I note my solidarity with all those impacted by the violence in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. I again ask when the Government will undertake further progress of the occupied territories Bill. Others have raised this issue. It is supported on a cross-party basis. It was initiated by Senator Frances Black in the Seanad. I had the honour of supporting her, as others did. It is long past time to take a lead on that.
I ask for a update on Bernard Phelan, the French-Irish citizen who has been sentenced to six and a half years imprisonment in Iran and on whose behalf many efforts are being made to secure his release. What is the Government doing to ensure he is released in a speedy fashion?
Once again, I thank Deputies for their questions. Deputy Haughey raised the issue of Russian vessels operating off our coast. These vessels are in international waters rather than our territorial waters. They are permitted to be there but they are operating in our exclusive economic zone, which is of particular importance to us. The Naval Service and Air Corps are monitoring them. We obviously co-operate with our EU allies and have access to satellite information as well. As Deputies pointed out, many subsea telecommunication cables run along the seabed in our exclusive economic zone. There is a concern that they could be interfered with if there is an escalation in hostilities between Europe and Russia, particularly in view of the damage that was done to the Nord Stream pipelines. However, it is just a concern at this stage. We have no evidence as yet of any hostile act. It is a situation that has to be monitored carefully, but it is important we do not escalate it. It is a concern and we are monitoring the situation but, again, we have no evidence yet of any hostile acts by Russian forces or vessels regarding Ireland.
On the trade matters raised by Deputy McDonald, I will have to seek advice on the implications of that European decision for Ireland. I will certainly do that. I have read about it in the papers but have not seen anything formally as regards a briefing as yet. When it comes to the occupied territories Bill, the Government's view is that trade is an exclusive EU competence. Any trade sanctions imposed on any country should be done at European level and not unilaterally by Ireland as a member state. Indeed, such action may even be a violation of the treaties. There was advice from a previous Attorney General on that.
The issue of the ISIF mandate was also raised by Deputies. Legislation has been passed to prevent ISIF from investing in fossil fuels, for example. I am not sure whether any legislation exists as regards its remit with respect to other countries. I will have to check with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael McGrath, on that. If we do make it part of its mandate, I do not think it would be right to target any one country. We would have to look at it in the round and make sure, if its mandate prevents it from investing in some countries or some parts of some countries, that we do not single out any particular country but look at things in the round and maybe have a list. I do not know enough about the detail of ISIF's investments to comment any further but I will certainly let the Minister know it was raised in the House.
I received some briefings on the EWCs in correspondence with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in my former role as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Things may have moved on a little since then. The file is now being handled by the Minister of State at that Department, Deputy Richmond. I will let him know it was raised and ask him to come back to Deputies by correspondence.
I am very much aware of the case of Mr. Phelan, who is being detained in Iran. The Department of Foreign Affairs is working on it and we are doing all we can to ensure that man is released as soon as possible. We are aware that he is in poor health, and we are concerned about that. As Deputies will be aware, however, Iran is not the friendliest of regimes towards Ireland at the moment, and vice versa. Nevertheless, we are doing all we can and hope the issue will be seen as a humanitarian one and set aside politics in the interests of a man who is very sick and needs to get home to his family.