Today.

On 25 June, I met the EU Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration, Piotr Serafin, in Brussels. The meeting was an important opportunity to set out Ireland’s preliminary views on the post-2027 multi-annual financial framework, MFF, in advance of the proposal of the Commission being published next Wednesday. During this meeting, I called on the Commissioner to ensure a robustly funded and separate, strong and ring-fenced Common Agricultural Policy, CAP. As a thriving sector of our economy, I stre…

It is important to briefly set out the process. The Commission will publish the proposal next Wednesday. Ultimately, it is a matter for the leaders to agree this, in conjunction with the European Parliament. Over the next year and a half, starting on 18 July, governments will discuss the Commission's proposal and, in effect, negotiate it. Next Wednesday's proposal should be seen as the first outing. We will have a ministerial meeting two days later and that is the very start of the process. During our Presidency, I…

During the Presidency Ireland will, in effect, be in charge of the negotiations. We will have to act as an honest broker. It is important that between now and then we get our spoke out, so to speak. That is why met Commissioner Serafin at a very early point and immediately after that meeting I met all of our MEPs, all of whom were invited to be briefed on our position. I am more than happy to do that with the committees on foreign affairs, EU affairs and agriculture. Individual Ministers will also do that. It is al…

This is just terrible stuff.

This is terrible stuff. This is shocking.

From this side.

On vaccines.

On vaccines.

He did not say that. He never said that.

There is always a bit of confusion about this slot. A range of questions have already been asked and I am more than happy to answer them now. However, the ruling from the Chair is that the questions should be fresh in coming forward. I am in the Chair's hands on this.

It is always the way.

The Deputy can ask me anything.

It might be easier if I just quickly answer Deputy Ó Laoghaire's question because it is likely there will be several questions. On tariffs, there were discussions about tariffs and this particular debate on the margins of the European Council meeting. Discussions between the EU and the US are ongoing. As the Taoiseach already said, President von der Leyen spoke to him on Monday. Commissioner Šefčovič, who is lead for the EU, is in constant contact with the Government and with the Tánaiste. I also meet with him in B…

I will get the Deputy an exact answer on that. As I understand it, we are not part of that. The decision was taken by the Council, of which we are part, and our position is generally to facilitate what other member states want to do. As the Taoiseach has said, we are very clear that defence is a national competency. There is no EU army. If Deputy McDonald said what she said today in a presidential debate, people simply would not take her seriously. It was over the top and outrageous. She spoke about the sons and da…

We are working very closely with the Commission. The Council has taken its own decision and that is the position we have taken on the matter. I do not accept what the Deputy has said, which is that we are funding arms manufacturers and research on how best to kill people. That is not happening. There is a country called Russia. Deputy Seán Crowe criticised us and told us not to use Russia as a bogeyman. I know Sinn Féin Members recently went to Malta to sign a memorandum of understanding on neutrality but, if they …

I am raising the issues the Deputy raised when she spoke.

I will come back in.

I will be clear. We have called for follow-up action on the association agreement report. I will attend the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on the issue next week and I will be taking a very strong position that is consistent with what we have done before. The report is brief but it tells you enough about what Israel has done, which is exactly what the Deputy has said. The Government has taken a leadership role in approving the general scheme of the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory Bill. Ot…

Ukraine is a top priority. I told ambassador Gerasko that was the case. I had an article published in the Irish Examiner this week reflecting on my visit there. I certainly encourage Members of the Oireachtas to visit Ukraine if it is safe to do so. It is never 100% safe, but it should be organised at an Oireachtas level. On my impression of the situation in Ukraine, what really struck home to me was the lack of sleep people are having. We are not trying to compare different situations. Each situation is different,…