Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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66. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland will remain one of the strongest advocates of Ukraine’s European path and if we will continue to support them along their journey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3214/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland has always been, and will remain, a strong supporter of enlargement of the European Union, provided that candidate countries meet the necessary conditions for membership. EU membership has been transformative for Ireland over the past 50 years, bringing both peace and prosperity to the island, and enhancing our global influence. We believe that all candidate countries deserve the same opportunity, provided that they meet the accession criteria.

We recognise the value of enlargement as a transformative driver for stability and peace in candidate countries, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the clear need for continuing, ever-closer cooperation between the EU and our nearest neighbours. We believe that EU membership will be the ultimate security guarantee for Ukraine, and is in the overall strategic interest of the European Union.

Ireland supported the decision of the European Council in June 2022 to grant EU Candidate Status to Ukraine, and welcomes the Council’s decision in December 2023, based on the Commission’s recommendation of 08 November, to open accession negotiations with Ukraine.

It was clear from the Commission’s report that Ukraine had made significant progress in fulfilling the key recommendations set out for it, and so we feel this decision is fully justified. We encourage Ukraine to maintain its reform efforts in the period ahead. We look forward to additional reporting from the Commission in March, which we hope will facilitate next steps on Ukraine’s path to EU membership.

Ireland will continue to strongly support the EU enlargement process and offer any practical assistance it can to Ukraine in its EU perspective.