European Council

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 July 2023

Wednesday, 12 July 2023

Ceisteanna (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

6. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on this attendance at the recent European Council meeting. [32445/23]

Seán Haughey

Ceist:

7. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Taoiseach for a report on his attendance at the European Council on 29 and 30 June 2023. [33185/23]

Mick Barry

Ceist:

8. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the recent European Council meeting. [33641/23]

Neasa Hourigan

Ceist:

9. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent attendance at the European Council meeting. [33682/23]

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

10. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach if he will report on this attendance at the recent European Council meeting. [33722/23]

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Ceist:

11. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach for a report on his attendance at the recent European Council meeting. [33968/23]

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

12. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach for a report on his attendance at the European Council on 29 and 30 June 2023. [34009/23]

Paul Murphy

Ceist:

13. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach for a report on his attendance at the European Council on 29 and 30 June 2023. [34011/23]

Gino Kenny

Ceist:

14. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Taoiseach for a report on his attendance at the European Council on 29 and 30 June 2023. [34013/23]

Bríd Smith

Ceist:

15. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach for a report on his attendance at the European Council on 29 and 30 June 2023. [34014/23]

Freagraí ó Béal (6 píosaí cainte)

The Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 15, inclusive, together.

I attended the meeting of the European Council on 29 and 30 June in Brussels and I will report to the House in detail on the meeting later this afternoon. We discussed Ukraine, economic issues, security and defence, migration, and external relations, including with China. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke via video conference, updating us on the situation on the ground, including following the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam. We reaffirmed our enduring solidarity with Ukraine, acknowledged Ukraine’s commitment to EU accession, and discussed future security commitments to Ukraine recognising that they must be in full respect of security and defence policies of all member states, including Ireland. Leaders welcomed progress on the establishment of a tribunal to ensure Russian accountability; took stock of work exploring the use of immobilised Russian assets; welcomed the adoption of the 11th sanctions package; and reviewed efforts to further weaken Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Leaders discussed the current economic situation, including economic security issues, and Europe’s long-term competitiveness. We called for an independent report on the future development of the Single Market to be published by 2024. On migration, leaders were unified in their sorrow at the loss of life in the Mediterranean in June. We discussed the need to step up efforts to prevent irregular departures and loss of life, to strengthen borders, and in the fight against smugglers.

On security and defence, we considered progress on the strategic compass, and welcomed the decision to increase the ceiling of the European Peace Facility and to maintain the Union’s ability to respond to crises and conflicts. Ahead of our meeting, we met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and discussed EU-NATO co-operation.

We had a strategic discussion on relations with China. A stable relationship with China is important, including given the role it needs to play on global challenges such as climate change. At the same time, we need to consider dependencies in our supply chains in circumstances where they could pose unacceptable economic risks. We reiterated the EU’s commitment to human rights and expressed concerns regarding Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong.

During our meeting, we also discussed the development of a comprehensive partnership package with Tunisia; reiterated our commitment to the EU perspective of the western Balkans; and condemned the recent violent incidents in the north of Kosovo and called for a de-escalation of the situation. We reaffirmed our commitment to finding a settlement to the situation in Cyprus and called for a resumption of negotiations. We also discussed preparations for the EU-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the EU-CELAC summit, which I will attend in Brussels next week.

Deputy Seán Haughey

I thank the Taoiseach. A wide range of issues were obviously discussed at the European Council meeting, including the major global challenge of migration. As we know, an agreement was reached by the justice ministers on 8 June in respect of the central elements of the asylum and migration pact, using qualified majority voting. The aim of this agreement is to put in place a common procedure for the processing of applications for international protection, to establish mandatory border procedures, and to adopt a flexible solidarity mechanism. We are told that Hungary and Poland raised their opposition to the new plan at the European Council meeting, or certainly raised concerns about it. I ask the Taoiseach whether he thinks this new agreement regarding migration will work. Can he confirm that Ireland will continue to advocate for a humanitarian response to the ongoing and unfolding tragedies in the Mediterranean? Does he agree that central to any solution should be a crackdown on the criminal gangs involved in human trafficking? Finally, is it now not clear that we must substantially increase legal pathways for migrants trying to make a new life in the EU?

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

I back what Deputy Haughey said in the sense that we need to look at the whole issue of migration holistically. We all know that across Europe, but particularly here, of the huge gaps we have regarding employees so we need to rectify that across the board. I would be interested how the Taoiseach thinks the conversations went with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg regarding NATO co-operation, given this State's position of non-alignment and military neutrality. The Taoiseach mentioned what has happened in Kosovo. We know of the conversation regarding accession for the western Balkans and that they need to be provided with a route map, while people within that context have to be able to see right by the Copenhagen criteria. Were there talks of any plans about engagement? Was there any conversation on Cyprus, beyond reiterating that the situation of partition and occupation from the Cypriot point of view needs to be dealt with, as well as on how can we move it on?

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

Nuclear weapons are probably the most monstrous invention of humanity. Coming fairly close behind them are cluster munitions. As the Taoiseach knows, this country was the locale and one of the major promoters of the Convention on Cluster Munitions to ban them, with more than 100 countries signing up to it. Then this weekend we had the spectacle of US President Joe Biden talking about the "very difficult decision" to give Ukraine cluster munitions, which spread explosives over wide areas and leave things on the ground that explode. They are picked up by children and blow kids' arms and legs off and so on. They are a disgusting vile weapon that this country has been part of calling for a ban on. They are, of course, used by Russia, disgustingly, but now it seems the United States and Ukraine think it is okay to use these disgusting, vile, immoral weapons.

The Taoiseach talked about the strategic compass. Where is the moral compass in the European Union to say this is absolutely outrageous that anybody would consider using these disgusting, horrific, barbaric weapons and that our so-called allies in the United States or in Ukraine would consider using these things? I hope the Taoiseach will speak out and say a little bit more than that he is concerned about the use of these weapons. They are vile and we should speak out in the loudest terms against their deployment by anybody, but particularly by people who we regularly talk about as being allies.

Deputy Paul Murphy

I want to raise the issue of international parental abduction and ask whether this topic came up at any of the meetings and discussions. This is a situation where one parent takes children out of the State, Ireland, but it could be any state, into another country and they are effectively kept there are not returned to their parent. Obviously, it is a horrendous situation for the parent and the family involved, the fact they are separated from the children. The Taoiseach might know of one case I am aware of currently. It involves a woman called Mandy who is the mother. She wrote to the Tánaiste and I have a copy of her email, stating:

I have not seen my children in over 400 days. I need further reassurance that the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and the Irish Consulate in Cairo are serious regarding my Irish born sons' wellbeing and their right to be home. I wake up to a nightmare every single day not knowing if my children are alive or well.

Her ex-husband has gone back to Egypt and is effectively refusing to allow the children to come back. I understand she is in touch with the consulate and the Department. My question is a general one about discussions on this subject at international level, because what is happening is not just happening in Ireland, but also about how we can ensure all possible assistance is being given to Mandy and her family.

The Taoiseach

On migration, the discussion we had at the June European Council was a follow-on from the detailed conclusions agreed by the Council in February, and much progress has been made since then. We could not agree on conclusions at the most recent meeting in Brussels because of the objections of Poland and Hungary. Sometimes it is better to have no conclusions than a formula of wording to which everybody can agree but does not mean very much. Nonetheless, President Michel felt it was important for us to discuss the issue again.

Tragic events, including the recent shipwreck off the coast of Greece that resulted in the loss of many lives, continue to highlight the urgent need to deal with migration in a comprehensive and holistic manner. Ireland will continue to work with its EU partners to ensure humanitarian and international legal obligations are upheld. The protection of life and safety at sea remains paramount, irrespective of the circumstances that lead to people being in a situation of distress.

In the round, migration is a good thing for our country, but it does need to be properly managed. On 8 June and 9 June, justice and home affairs ministers reached a political agreement on the asylum procedure regulation and the asylum and migration management regulation, two important elements of the proposed pact on asylum and migration. Once adopted by the EU co-legislators, this will establish a common procedure for processing international protection requests, mandatory border procedures and a new flexible solidarity mechanism. In answer to Deputy Haughey's question, I do not believe it will work on its own but it can help.

It is clear we need a comprehensive approach that deals with all aspects of the challenge. That includes strengthening the EU's external borders, solidarity within the EU and working closely with countries of origin and transit. I certainly agree with Deputy Haughey that we need a zero-tolerance approach to those who engage in people smuggling and human trafficking. They put people in vessels that are often not seaworthy and do not care whether they reach the other side alive; they just want their money. We need to break up those rackets in any way we can. I will leave it at that.

I agree we need legal pathways to migration but I point out we have many legal pathways to migration in Ireland. Any citizen of the UK, EU or European Economic Area can come to Ireland to work, study and live. That amounts to nearly 500 million people. We have an effective work permit system and issue about 40,000 work permits every year to people with skills we need who want to come here. In addition, there are student visas, family visas and so on. Ireland is actually a very good example of a country that has many legal pathways to migration. I do not believe the asylum process or international protection system should be used by anyone other than people who need international protection because they are fleeing war or persecution. It should not be used as a means of economic migration.

With regard to Deputy Ó Murchú's question on Cyprus, there was a mention of the matter in the EU conclusions. The new President of Cyprus gave us an update on the situation. I had a chance to meet the Speaker of the Cypriot Assembly, who is effectively the Vice President. She visited Ireland recently and I met her in Brussels also. There is hope on the Greek Cypriot side that talks can resume again, but it is unfortunate that previous attempts to agree on unification have not been possible.

I understand cluster munitions are being used by both Ukraine and Russia in the war. That is absolutely wrong. Ireland as a country has been a leader on this issue. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, took a particular interest in the matter during his time as Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Ireland is one of the countries that has signed up to the convention banning cluster munitions. They are terrible weapons and they inflict an inordinate amount of harm on civilians. They can be left around for years and cause injuries similar to those caused by landmines. They are really awful weapons. We totally disagree with the United States' decision to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine. I have said that publicly already and want to put it on the record of the House. We will say this directly to the US authorities when the opportunity arises. Our colleagues in the UK and the European Union take the same view. I hope the war ends soon but what is certain is that there will be people injured by the weapons long after the war has ended, as we saw in Vietnam, Bosnia and other places. I have seen demining operations in Colombia. It is a profoundly wrong decision to provide those weapons.

International parental abduction has not been discussed at the European Council, at least not to my recollection and not recently, but I am aware of individual cases involving people who live in my constituency and others who have raised the issue with me. We all encounter such cases as politicians. I remember the stellar work of former MEP Mary Banotti, who took a particular interest in the issue. The Department of Foreign Affairs helps wherever it can. Sometimes it can be hard to help in a meaningful or practical way because laws can be very different in other countries, but the Department is available to help people in any way it can.