European Heads of Government considered their approach to COP27 when they met in October. As it turned out, the EU played a crucial role at COP27. The Taoiseach addressed the conference on 8 November and outlined Ireland's position, which highlighted the importance of climate justice. As we know, COP27 has now concluded with a final agreement reached after prolonged negotiations. The agreement includes texts that finally recognise loss and damage caused by climate change. This is a breakthrough, although much work …

I understand that technical negotiations between the UK and EU on the implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol have recommenced. As we know, this issue is linked with efforts to get the Executive up and running at Stormont. The House will appreciate if the Minister could update it on those negotiations.

I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. Thankfully, there is now political stability at Westminster and a more pragmatic mood prevails. As the Minister said, there is some optimism that agreement on the protocol can be reached. The Minister dealt with the issue of trade, but the Northern Ireland protocol also deals with commitments concerning the non-diminution of rights under the Good Friday Agreement. There are obligations concerning the functioning of the single electricity market. The protocol also sp…

As we know, there has been political instability in Westminster for many weeks now. It has delayed negotiations between the UK and the EU on the implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol. As a result, there has been no progress regarding efforts to put a functioning Executive in place in Stormont. Thankfully, it seems the appointment of Rishi Sunak as British Prime Minister has brought this instability to an end, a point put eloquently by Matt Hancock in the jungle on "I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!" A…

The concept of a European political community was an initiative of the French President, Mr. Emmanuel Macron. He made this proposal at the Conference on the Future of Europe when it was concluding. Forty-four European countries, including Ireland, attended the first meeting in Prague. The UK also attended, which marked a change in attitudes by the British to European affairs generally. There is no doubt that the Russian invasion of Ukraine acted as a catalyst for the establishment of this new forum. At the meeting,…

The world is in a very difficult and dangerous place at this time. There are numerous conflicts taking place, including the war in Ukraine. Climate change is now a reality in many countries. Conflict and climate change together have brought about famines and droughts, unprecedented world hunger and food insecurity. As if these were not enough, we are now witnessing the decline in democratic values throughout the world. During our two years on the UN Security Council, we rightly kept the focus on the effects of glob…

The international unit in the Department of the Taoiseach gives the Taoiseach advice on international issues including peace and security, overseas development assistance and fundamental human rights. It also monitors progress on the implementation of the UN strategic development goals. I welcome the recent launch of the new national implementation plan for these goals. As regards fundamental rights, like Deputies Bacik and Brady, I also wish to ask the Taoiseach about the current situation in Iran. The death of Ma…

Putin's brutal war on the people of Ukraine continues relentlessly. His actions in recent weeks show that he is losing this war and the survival of his regime in Russia is now being questioned. As we know, he has formally annexed four Ukrainian territories, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. These areas constitute 15% of Ukrainian sovereign territory. The annexation came about following sham referendums. This is an illegal land grab which has no basis in international law. Ireland, the EU and democracies o…

Recently in the Dáil, the Taoiseach said with regard to negotiations between the EU and UK on the implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol that the parties must now be given the space to do their work. The Minister for Foreign Affairs more or less said the same thing during Question Time earlier this month and suggested that the less said publicly on these matters in the Dáil at this time, the better. The Taoiseach met the parties in Northern Ireland yesterday, as he said. He stated afterwards that restoring…

Will the Minister continue to highlight human rights abuses in Iran? Will he raise concerns regarding the recent death of an Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, while in police detention? Will he do what he can to ensure that Iran subscribes to the principles of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ICCPR?

As the Minister knows, there is serious concern about the circumstances of Mahsa Amini's death in detention, with claims that she was beaten to death. I too believe it is important that an independent investigation into her death be undertaken and I would like to know what Ireland can do to ensure such an inquiry gets under way. There have been mass peaceful protests in Iran following Ms Amini's death, particularly by women. Many of the protestors have been killed. Many others have been injured and at least 1,200 h…

As other Deputies have said, the Iranian authorities have introduced restrictions on free and uncensored Internet access, WhatsApp and Instagram. Again, the fundamental right to freedom of expression is being breached in this case. Two fundamental rights are being breached: the right to assemble and protest, and the right to freedom of expression. The Minister spoke about our EU colleagues. What can be done at EU level to highlight this case, these events and the situation in Iran generally? Are we talking about th…

The Taoiseach stated previously that the appointment of a new British Prime Minister was a chance to reset the relationship between Dublin and London. As we know, the British Government has an important role to play regarding negotiations between the UK and the EU on the Northern Ireland protocol and the re-establishment of the Northern Ireland institutions. Positive signs are coming from London concerning these interrelated issues. The British Prime Minister, Liz Truss, said yesterday that there is no reason the N…

I believe the Taoiseach was right to attend the EuroAtlantic dinner. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has major implications for Ireland and the world, especially concerning energy, food and migration. It is important at this time that Ireland shows solidarity with like-minded democracies and advocates a rules-based international order. In this context, Ireland should continue to commit to the evolving Common Security and Defence Policy, CSDP, of the EU. As the Taoiseach is aware, we have been an active participant …

As we know, the horrors of the war in Ukraine continue. The spirit of the Ukrainian people is extraordinary, and we are in awe of their courage, bravery and resolve in defending their country. We should all be concerned about the threat posed by the recent military activity around the nuclear plant at Zaporizhzhia, as the Taoiseach said. The Ukrainian authorities, aided by the International Atomic Energy Agency, must be allowed to take control of this site and to defuse this serious threat. What is emerging near Iz…

During his recent visit to Ireland, Congressman Richard Neal strongly endorsed the Irish position on the Good Friday Agreement and the Northern Ireland protocol, which is to be greatly welcomed. Indeed, other US politicians have done the same, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and President Joe Biden. They have spoken about the difficulty of agreeing a UK-EU trade deal if the UK threatens the Good Friday Agreement and overrides the Northern Ireland protocol. We need to be vigilant…

Mark Rutte is a long-serving Prime Minister of the Netherlands and his steadfast solidarity and support for Ireland on the protocol issue and the Good Friday Agreement is greatly welcomed, as the Taoiseach said. The prime minister is very influential regarding future developments in the EU. Did the Taoiseach discuss with him the Conference on the Future of Europe? As we know, this concluded on 9 May 2022 and listed 320 measures and recommendations. It recommended treaty changes regarding making health a shared comp…

The Czech Presidency of the EU has listed five priority themes to be advanced over the coming six months; managing the refugee crisis and Ukraine's post-war recovery, energy security; strengthening Europe's defence capabilities and cyberspace security; strategic resilience of the European economy and resilience of democratic institutions. As we know, Europe faces many challenges at this time. Other global challenges include food security and the fact that millions of people, worldwide, are experiencing hunger and f…

As we have heard, those attending the World Economic Forum in Davos had a lot to discuss. Hunger and food shortages are just two of a number of challenges facing the world at this time. What are the Taoiseach's views on the famine currently being experienced in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya in the Horn of Africa? In these three countries, more than 23 million people are experiencing extreme hunger. They have now had their fourth successive dry rainy season. The United Nations has stated that €4.2 billion is needed to…

We know the French President, Mr. Emmanuel Macron, is a key player in future developments in the European Union. He is very ambitious for the EU, as his commitment to the Conference on the Future of Europe and the French Presidency of the EU have demonstrated. In this context I want to raise the issue of enlargement. While welcoming the decision of the European Council to grant candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova, there was disappointment in the western Balkans and Georgia that their cases for accession were no…