Gino Kenny
Ceist:128. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on and the detail of Ireland’s non-lethal aid to Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13666/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 24 March 2022
Ceisteanna (128, 146)
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill
Ceist:146. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the details of Ireland’s contribution to the European Union peace fund; the way that contributors will contribute to the provision by the European Union of both lethal weapons and other products needed to support the people of Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13370/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 146 together.
Ireland is committed to enhancing the EU’s ability to promote international peace and security in support of the principles of the United Nations Charter. Our participation in the European Peace Facility (EPF), an off-budget instrument established by the EU in March 2021 and aimed at funding EU Common Security and Defence Policy actions, is part of that commitment.
The EPF is one element of a broad set of EU foreign policy instruments, which support sustainable development, humanitarian action, conflict prevention and peacebuilding. The EPF is used in particular to fund the military and defence aspects of partnerships with regional organisations and third countries, while other instruments fund the peacebuilding, conflict prevention, mediation, security sector reform and wider development aspects.
In certain circumstances and subject to strong safeguards, funding from the EPF may also be used to provide equipment designed to deliver lethal force. During the negotiations to establish the Facility, Ireland, together with a number of like-minded States, ensured the inclusion of a provision allowing Member States to constructively abstain from measures involving lethal equipment. This removes from the Member States concerned any obligation to pay for the lethal equipment component of an assistance measure.
In 2021, the EU adopted seven EPF measures to provide non-lethal assistance in support of Georgia (€12.75 million), Moldova (€7 million), Ukraine (€31 million), Mali (€24 million), Bosnia and Herzegovina (€10 million), Mozambique (€40 million), and the African Union (€130 million).
On 28 February 2022, the EU went on to agree an EPF package of €500 million in military assistance for Ukraine. For the first time ever, this consisted of a €450 million allocation for lethal equipment, as well as an additional €50 million in funding for non-lethal equipment. On 21 March, EU Foreign Ministers reached political agreement on a further €500 million package of EPF assistance for Ukraine, based on an identical breakdown in terms of resources to the funding package agreed on 28 February.
In respect of both packages, and in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, Ireland will not contribute to the funding of lethal equipment and our support will only go to non-lethal elements. In financial terms, our total contribution is likely to amount to approximately €22 million. In addition to the allocation of financial resources, this also includes the provision by Ireland of some 10 tonnes of ready-to-eat meals and 200 units of body armour directly to the Ukrainian military. These supplies have already been dispatched in recent days.
Separately, Ireland has been responding to the humanitarian emergency in and around Ukraine. Ireland has committed €20 million in humanitarian aid to the situation in Ukraine and in neighbouring Moldova.
In the period ahead, Ireland will continue to work with the European Union, United Nations, and other partners to assess the best means by which we can continue to provide both political and practical support to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.