Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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1. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the president of Poland. [42883/24]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I met the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, in Poland on Thursday, 5 September following my visit to Kyiv in Ukraine. I took the opportunity to thank the President, as the former President of the European Council, for his enormous solidarity, personal commitment and support to Ireland during the process of Brexit. We discussed bilateral relations between Ireland and Poland as well as current EU and international issues. The relationship between Poland and Ireland has never been more positive, especially through our shared membership of the European Union and our very strong and well-established people-to-people ties. I took the opportunity to highlight to Prime Minister Tusk the enormous contribution the strong and vibrant Polish community makes to our country. I acknowledge that again today on the record of this House. Prime Minister Tusk and I also discussed various current issues on the European Union’s agenda, including the nomination of the new Commission, the forthcoming Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of next year and improving Europe’s competitiveness and deepening the Single Market. Much of our discussion focused on the current situation on the ground in Ukraine and what more the EU can do to support the Government there and people of Ukraine. We also spoke about developments in the wider region, including Belarus, which borders Poland, and Moldova.

On the Middle East I stressed to Prime Minister Tusk the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, an increase in humanitarian support and progress working toward a just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution. Ireland and Poland work closely together through the United Nations, and I expressed my appreciation for the joint work of the Irish-Polish contingent working in Lebanon. I also met with Prime Minister Tusk at last week’s European Council meeting, where we discussed the serious escalation of violence in the Middle East and the obligations on all sides to protect our peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, and agreed a strong signal of support from the EU for UNIFIL.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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The Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has likened the German-led European Sky Shield Initiative, ESSI, to Israel's iron dome. The comparison is not simply that it is an attempt to form some sort of iron dome, but at the heart of the ESSI is Arrow 3, an Israeli-American missile system used by and supplied to Europe by the genocidal state of Israel to the tune of billions of euro. It is further evidence of complicity of the arms supply chain between the EU and Israel. In addition, a stated aim of the initiative is to "strengthen NATO's integrated air and missile defence". Just a few weeks ago, Micheál Martin wrote to Leo Varadkar, saying "I wish to assure the Deputy, however, that Department officials are considering ESSI and other European developments". It was also reported - I think on Saturday - that the Irish Government is considering joining the ESSI, despite the links with Israel. Will the Taoiseach commit today not to enter the ESSI, which would clearly be a blatant breach of our neutrality? It would be a tightening of the noose of our further integration into NATO and provide more backhanded support to Israel.

Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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I think all of those who believe in liberal democratic values breathed a sigh of relief when Donald Tusk's centre-right Civic Platform came to power last year. Prime Minister Tusk is a former President of the European Council and was a friend of Ireland during the Brexit talks, as the Taoiseach said. He has since set about restoring constructive relations with the EU. He is reversing restrictions on media freedoms and restoring the independence of the judiciary. As a result, the EU has dropped legal proceedings against Poland. It is clear, however, that the President of Poland, President Duda, of the Law and Justice party, is hindering the implementation of Tusk's reform agenda. I am not clear from the Taoiseach's reply if he actually met with the President of Poland as well.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I met with the Prime Minister.

Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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The Taoiseach did not meet with the President of Poland, but he met with the Prime Minister, Donald Tusk. Did the Taoiseach discuss rule-of-law issues with the Prime Minister and the need to uphold European values in these very uncertain times?

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I think we are all glad when meeting with any world leaders that the issue of the ongoing genocide is brought up. When we talk to colleagues across the EU, there is nobody in Ireland who is going to say they can understand in any way, shape or form their views regarding the maintenance and continuity of the EU-Israel association agreement as it exists. We need to see, in whatever way possible, any moves with regard to looking at those humanitarian conditions on the basis of what is an absolutely unfathomable ongoing genocide. We have to make our own moves with regard to the occupied territories Bill, the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill and the small parts we can play.

The Taoiseach mentioned UNIFIL. Both Poland and Ireland have troops there at the minute. I, like many others, have been contacted by incredibly worried families. When I spoke to the Tánaiste, he spoke about engagement with the UN, because an awful lot of families said it is difficult to follow through on the mandate in the sense that a huge amount of the Lebanese have fled on the basis of the Israeli invasion. We stand by the huge work that is being done by our peacekeepers. It is also about ensuring their safety is assured. I have no doubt the Polish Government would be doing the same thing. Will the Taoiseach provide an update regarding these interactions, particularly with the UN, on the ongoing missions?

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Did the Taoiseach discuss with Donald Tusk the fact the European Union's credibility is in absolute shreds because of the blatant double standards that are being displayed between its attitude toward legitimate resistance by the Ukrainian people against the brutal Russian invasion and the wholly different attitude to Palestinian people resisting a brutal, genocidal assault on Gaza and decades of apartheid, ethnic cleansing and illegal occupation? Did he discuss that it is tearing apart any credibility the European Union has in the eyes of a whole generation of people when they see the shocking blatant double standards, and the fact that major European powers are arming this genocide and justifying and legitimising Israel's crimes and providing it with impunity? That is the big political picture, and anybody as committed as the Taoiseach and Donald Tusk are to the European project should seriously ask how it is going to sustain any credibility in the tooth of that.

On a humanitarian level, there are paediatricians outside the House, who are trying to get children out of Gaza. They have the children and their names. Some of them are already in Cairo. Their request is whether we can talk to the Egyptian Government to get the ten children out of Cairo. Is there a possibility these paediatricians can get into Gaza to access other children who have visas and supports waiting for them but who cannot physically get out of Gaza?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I will start with Deputy Boyd Barrett's questions as it is a very important issue. We decided at Government a couple of weeks ago that Ireland would opt in to this initiative to try to help get some of the very sickest children out of Gaza to receive life-altering, and often life-saving, medical procedures. I thank the Deputy for bringing the case of the paediatricians to my attention. I will certainly take some details from the Deputy and ask that there is a follow-up with them from the Government. I know it is extraordinarily difficult, to state the blindingly obvious, to get these children out safely. I have raised this on a number of occasions. I raised it at the European Council last week and I raised it with President Biden. I have raised with President Herzog of Israel. I will continue to raise it, but I am very happy to take that. I will be very happy to do anything we can diplomatically to assist those doctors in their work. I did genuinely raise that issue with Prime Minister Tusk in Poland, but I have also raised at every single opportunity I have had at European level. The inconsistent application of international law is a real issue. It is not an issue for Ireland; we understand that international law matters and should be upheld, no matter who breaks it. Unfortunately, I do think there is an inconsistent application and approach taken by others. We will continue to make that point.

Deputy Ó Murchú raised the humanitarian conditions in Gaza and in Palestine more broadly. The Deputy is right to highlight this. This could not be worse. The World Food Programme is telling us it has not been able to get in at all. I heard the update from the UN on RTÉ radio this morning that it has not seen a worse situation in terms of the humanitarian situation during a conflict. I spoke to the King and Queen of Jordan recently, who I know are looking at some innovative initiatives to try, in desperation, to get some aid in.

Ireland will continue to what we can to help in that. We will continue on a broader level to call for de-escalation and a ceasefire.

On UNIFIL, the Deputy is right to highlight the issue of the families. I join everyone in this House in thanking the men and women - our Irish peacekeepers - who make up part of the UNIFIL contingent. There are 379 people. They are the best of us. We thank them for their service. Their safety is of paramount concern to us. I want to assure their families of that. That is why I have spoken to the UN Secretary General specifically on that and why I receive at least a daily update on their situation, and often more than that. It is why I decided to ring the President of Israel directly. We raised it at the European Council last week and I spoke to the Prime Minister of Italy, Ms Meloni and the Prime Minister of Spain, Mr. Sánchez, both of whom have significant numbers of troops as part of that mission too. I know there are efforts to make sure there is good communications with and updates for the families, but if ever the Deputy comes across ones where there are not, then I ask that he please keep directly in touch with my office. I can only imagine how worrying and stressful a time it must be for families who have people abroad in southern Lebanon at the moment.

On Deputy Haughey’s question, I met the Prime Minister; he is my counterpart. I think I misspoke and said president. In fairness to Prime Minister Tusk, he embodies, as the Deputy acknowledged, the upholding of European values. He is a former President of the European Council and a very committed European. We have seen a marked shift in Poland’s stance toward Europe and European values and a positive response from the European Commission as a result of that. I do not think, from memory, we specifically discussed that issue on this occasion but I would say Prime Minister Tusk is very dedicated to it, as is his Government. I am also very pleased that the responsibilities of the new Irish Commissioner-designate, Michael McGrath, will include the rule of law, and bringing the Irish perspective and values to that portfolio will be advantageous not only to Ireland but to the European Union and the work of the likes of Prime Minister Tusk and others. We must be acutely aware that there are growing elements in European politics who do not respect the rule of law and who do not have that shared understanding of European values.

On Deputy Paul Murphy’s question, from memory, I do not believe that Prime Minister Tusk and I discussed the issue of the air dome but I have been in meetings before where he has discussed it and I think he has written a joint letter with the Prime Minister of Greece to European leaders on this in the past six months or so. It is his view. Ireland is proudly militarily neutral. We do not intend to do anything to change our military neutrality. I know the Deputy and I have debates on this, but any assessment of any initiative Ireland ever partakes in has to fully respect our military neutrality, and I am not aware of any initiative to join such an initiative.