Helen McEntee

I disagree with Deputy O'Gorman when he says that it is not effective because over the last number of months, I have seen a number of member states advocating for a stronger response. Last year, when there had not been any kind of a ceasefire, more member states had started to change their positions, and that is why we had the suspension of the association agreement put on the table by the Commiss…

I want to outline where we are at the moment. The Commission already has a proposal on the table that would suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement. That was put on the table last year, but it has never been voted on. This is a vote that would require unanimity within the Foreign Affairs Council and, being honest, I do not believe there is that unanimity. There are a number of member states th…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which follows on from the discussion I have just had with Deputies O’Gorman and Ó Murchú. National governing bodies, NGBs, of sport and international sporting federations, including the FAI, are independent, autonomous bodies responsible for the governance of their own sports, including the organisation of sporting fixtures. The Government and Sport Irela…

The Deputy is right in that sense, but “above us” is talking about UEFA. I fully accept that the FAI has pressed for the exclusion of Israel from UEFA, and it is its right to do so. However, there is a lack of consensus among UEFA members beyond that and, indeed, among international sporting bodies more generally in relation to the exclusion of Israel from international sporting competitions. Simi…

Ireland has led. The Deputy might not agree with me, he might not believe that, but Ireland has led and we are leading. I would say that the FAI is leading in that regard as well. It has made its position very clear, and I support the position that it has taken. I support the views that it has, but that is the position it has taken. It is not the position that UEFA as a whole has taken. It is not …

Of course we oppose genocide and what is happening on the ground. I do not think we can be any clearer about what is happening. We have joined the South African case. There is a court process and international legal process when it comes to recognising genocide. We have joined that because we believe that is clearly the right thing to do. One only has to look at the UN report on children, which wa…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 11 together. This matter has been raised on a number of occasions by the Deputy and other colleagues. At the outset, I assure the Deputies that my colleagues across our consular teams and I are closely following the case and engaging with Mr. Tatlow-Devally and his family on a regular basis. My Department, in particular our Consulate General in Munich, supp…

Deputy Ó Laoghaire will appreciate that it is not appropriate for me to comment on the type of legislation or charges that are being taken in another member state. We expect that any other European country would follow fair procedures and rules. That has to be a given and is exactly what I have raised directly with my colleague. Concerns have been raised with us. In terms of the response, my coll…

I am happy to get back to the Deputy on that if it is the case.

I stress again that it is not appropriate for me as Minister to suggest or dictate where somebody should be detained. I appreciate that people have a view on the prison this individual is in and the conditions under which he is being kept. It is the same situation for all prisoners in that particular prison. It is not for me or anybody here to dictate or decide whether somebody is appropriately pl…

I acknowledge the colleagues who attended the opening ceremony yesterday. I hope President Zelenskyy's presence has shown not just our own citizens but the rest of Europe and the world that we fully support Ukraine and intend, through our Presidency, to do everything we can to continue that support and to put pressure on Russia. That includes supporting Ukraine on its accession path. I believe, as…

As I was saying, great efforts have been made by both countries, particularly by Ukraine in what are unimaginable conditions, to make the changes they are making. That is why we want to support them in the best way we can. It is why, when I was in Ukraine earlier this year, I met with civil society groups that are playing a key role in advocating for and bringing forward those changes as quickly a…

I am very conscious of the issue the Deputy has raised. Unfortunately, when we look at any of the countries on their path towards accession, nothing is straightforward for any country. Unfortunately, there are issues with individual member states and issues among those accession countries as well that still need to be resolved. That is why it takes as long as it does for a lot of countries. When I…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 40 together. Like the Deputy and everybody else who has seen this report or heard about what it contains, I am beyond concerned. The elements and the findings of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory are absolutely appalling. I stress that because I know there have been attempts to suggest that this is …

I mo cháil mar Aire Gnóthaí Eachtracha agus Trádála, is geal liom go bhfuil deis agam inniu aitheasc a thabhairt os comhair na Dála, ar an gcéad lá d’ochtú hUachtaránacht na hÉireann ar Chomhairle an Aontais Eorpaigh. As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I welcome the opportunity to address the Dáil today, the first day of Ireland’s eighth Presidency of the Council of the EU. I thank colleag…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time". I am pleased to introduce the Bill for the consideration of the House. I am conscious that the Bill has been the subject of much debate not only in this House and the media but also among the wider public. The Government fully understands the depth of feeling in Ireland and in this House on the subject of Palestine. We share these deeply held con…

I thank the Deputy for the question. As he said, this was discussed at Cabinet today. Approval was sought by me, and it was agreed by Cabinet that this would be presented for Second Stage. This will happen in the coming weeks. While there is no date set, I intend that this will be presented to the Dáil in coming weeks and published in the near future. The purpose of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2…

We are seeing the reason for moving on this now play out in real time. It is not just the decision taken not to continue the UN mandate in Lebanon where we have had members on the ground for decades. In the last two weeks, I met members of the Defence Forces in Rome. On the very day I met them, they had to finish up with Operation Irini, which had a mandate to operate in the Mediterranean to prev…

We are part of various different peacekeeping missions, including those in the western Balkans and Common Security and Defence Policy missions, although I appreciate those are separate and mainly focus on training. There are civilian missions and there are also military missions. Just now, I gave the Deputy an example of a UN mission we have been part of and contributed to for the last number of y…

They are being attacked by the very country-----

I appreciate that the Deputy has raised this a number of times, and that he might not always like the answer I give him. However, I am reminded continuously that in the discussions we are having here, while the Deputy appreciates there are certain things I cannot say and certain areas I cannot talk about, that is because I am a main defendant, as Minister, in all of the cases that have been brough…

What the Deputy is referring to are completely different scenarios, with potentially significantly different numbers-----

What we know is the number of people who have come forward. I know the number of people who have presented, be it through the State Claims Agency or who are going through litigation processes and have only in recent times put themselves forward and highlighted their own situation. There is one case, as we know, that has gone through mediation and concluded that mediation process. There is a partic…

What I am saying is that I have engaged with my team. A body of work had started when I came into the Department and I had asked for it to be completed. Since then, I have engaged with the Attorney General and the State Claims Agency. I have also assessed the current situation. What we know is that we have a number of cases that have gone through the State Claims Agency or that have engaged with t…

There has been a conclusion there but because this process is ongoing and because of the cases, there is not much more that I can say in this regard. It is important to stress that the State Claims Agency has reached out. I understand that it is very much the decision of individuals as to which route they decide to go or what they decide to do. On that basis and given the legal advice I have recei…