These questions were transferred to me. Will the Tánaiste outline the discussions he has had about the possibility of utilising the €1.87 billion in frozen Russian assets, which are the ones in Ireland that we know of, for reparations for the war of aggression against Ukraine?

In my experience as chair of the foreign affairs and trade committee, the Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland came in last week. We received a comprehensive statement. Has the Tánaiste or Taoiseach considered initiating some sort of round table facility with leaders of the Opposition? It strikes me that we get, and rightly so, incredibly exercised about events in Israel, Gaza and Palestine. This does not need to be binary. However, there seems to be a real lack of understanding in certain parts of the House on the actu…

Have they ever sought a briefing on it?

On the frozen assets, the Ukrainian ambassador made the point that the lawful of frozen Russian assets must become central to reconstruction. What is the view of the Government on that? That reconstruction would be around the rebuilding of infrastructure, supporting of victims and enabling the return of displaced Ukrainians. An estimate of €300 billion in assets internationally remains frozen globally, including close to €2 billion in Ireland. The Ukrainians are certainly of the view that these resources should ser…

This question was transferred to me from Deputy O'Meara. It asks for the Tánaiste's response to the recent escalation in the intensity of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

I thank the Minister of State. The Ukrainian ambassador was very appreciative of the non-military assistance the country has been given when she came before the committee last week. The Minister of State referred in his reply to regional destabilisation. I was fortunate and privileged, with the Minister of State's colleague, Deputy Barry Ward, Chair of the EU affairs committee, to be part of an EU election observation project in Moldova. The Russians had been attempting to interfere with elections there. Clearly, i…

It is not contained in my question but I know one of the things we contribute towards is de-mining. I am throwing the issue at the Minister of State in an unanticipated way and will accept a written response on it. It just came to mind. Can the Minister of State inform the House about what that involves and what the money is expended on?

I ask the Tánaiste the way in which Ireland is supporting the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, and if he will make a statement on the matter.

One thing this conflict has in common with what is going on in Gaza is that I cannot think of one single thing that would guarantee intergenerational conflict more than the use, abuse and the taking and maiming of children. It almost guarantees that the memory just simply cannot absolve itself of the horrors of it and that the atrocity will live on. In spite of that, the Ukrainian Government, through its ambassador, has expressed deep appreciation for the role that Ireland has played, particularly in the recent hig…

In the programme for Government, we made a commitment to reduce the cost of childcare for a child to €200 per month under the national childcare scheme. Along with hard-pressed families, I strongly welcomed this. A problem arises when providers pull out of the core funding scheme. In some cases, a provider of multiple facilities pulls one of its facilities out but keep others in for various reasons. As I have seen in my constituency, when that happens the cost of childcare can rise to up to €1,300 per month per chi…

That is not true.

First, if I may, I want to mention two constituents of mine, Thomas McHugh and Louise Heaney, at least one of whom has been taken by Israel Defense Forces, following the actions of the IDF against the flotilla. Our minds are very much with them. Their families and a lot of constituents have been in touch with my office this afternoon. I wanted to put their names on the record and say that we will do whatever we can to support them and their families through this. This is not the appropriate debate, however. I raise…

I will not take the full time. This question is just in relation to Rathfarnham Castle and to ask the Minister for an update on it. It is a cosmetic-related question on the upgrading of the exterior of the building and the progress on this work.

I thank the Minister of State. He was not in position when I got the last reply, which was this time last year. It repeated exactly what he has said, namely, a weather window would be required to carry out the works and the works would be carried out in 2025, which is this year. The reason I have asked the question is that the weather window has well and truly been with us for the past four or five months. Now, the Minister of State is saying the works will be carried out in 2027. What has changed?

I appreciate that. I would like an explanation as to why I was told last year it would be done in 2025 with the exact same reason in relation to the seasonality of the work. It is imperative. The local authority took a decision recently in relation to the land that it controlled, which is in the curtilage of the castle. That was positive news about the development of the outbuildings and the creation of local infrastructure in terms of social and cultural facilities. The renewal of the facade of the castle - that c…

We had the weather.

That is okay.

I want to ask the Tánaiste about the special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, which we hope will be able to investigate and prosecute senior government and military leaders responsible for the crime of aggression up to and including heads of state. He might update the House in that regard.

What is interesting from listening to the debates here in the past week is the criticism of the Government about its stance on the Iranian regime from some of the far left voices in the House and a complete ignorance about who supplies an awful lot of these drones to Russia to continuously attack a part of Europe. I understand the special tribunal I referred to in the question is the first international judicial body since the Second World War with jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute individuals regardless of…

As Chair of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, I met the ambassador recently. I am a little concerned that so much time in the House is spent on Gaza, which I understand, particularly as Chair of the committee, is justified, that Ukraine has slipped down the agenda and we need to keep it up. The continued acceleration of attacks by Russia poses a significant threat to the European Union. The Minister mentioned the largest attack in the past couple of days. In Ireland, because we are so remote, someti…