Ireland could provide Ukraine with €50 million in non-lethal military support under proposals aimed at circumventing Hungary’s blocking of some European Union funding for the war-torn country.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Simon Harris is expected to update the Cabinet on the situation in Ukraine and Ireland’s support for the country amid Russia’s ongoing war against its neighbour.
It comes as the United States and Russia are set to begin talks on ending the war and concerns in Ukraine and Europe that they are being sidelined from the process.
Mr Harris is set to brief ministerial colleagues on plans to bring forward a proposal next month to approve up to €50 million in non-lethal military support to Ukraine outside the European Peace Facility (EPF) mechanism.
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This move is understood to be in response to the challenges Ireland currently faces in fulfilling commitments to provide €250 million in this kind of support to Ukraine under the EPF while the Ukraine Assistance Fund remains blocked at EU level by Hungary.
Separately, the Tánaiste will also seek Cabinet approval for Ireland’s participation in the G20 forum of the world’s leading economies. He is due to travel later this week for a meeting of G20 foreign ministers.
Meanwhile, Ministers will be briefed on IDA Ireland’s new five-year strategy as well as proposed legislation aimed at streamlining its activities with those of Enterprise Ireland.
The goal of the legislation is to ensure that IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland remain competitive in offering support to both foreign direct investment (FDI) and indigenous enterprises.
Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke is expected to set out the IDA Ireland strategy which, according to sources, is aimed at “sharpening” Ireland’s FDI offering.
Under the IDA strategy there are to be increased targets for regional growth with an aim of 550 new investments outside Dublin and a further 450 in the capital.
Previously the aim was a 50:50 split.
Digitalisation and artificial intelligence, semiconductors and the health sector are targeted as growth areas.
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is expected to update colleagues on the latest data on patients on hospital trolleys in emergency departments including issues arising at the weekends.
She told the Dáil last week she had “seen considerable problems across hospitals on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holiday Mondays”.
Elsewhere, The Cabinet will be told of plans to order up to 100 electricity generators in the wake of Storm Éowyn. Minister for Housing James Browne is to bring a memo to government outlining actions to be taken by Uisce Éireann, which saw its infrastructure hit by communications and power outages.
During the storm, backup power generation in many locations could not fully compensate for long power outages, leading to the loss of water supply in some areas.
Minister for Children Norma Foley, along with Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton, will update the Cabinet on pay talks with unions representing section 39 workers. The Workplace Relations Commission adjourned talks pending the election of a new government last November.
Staff at these HSE-funded organisations are not public servants and therefore are not covered by the most recent public pay deal agreed last March.
The Government will also approve the establishment of Cabinet committees, including on water quality and infrastructure in line with commitments made in the programme for government.
