Cian O'Callaghan: Govt sleeping as alumina fuels Russian arms

Tánaiste, so now we know the government's report into Agnish alumina will be a classic fudge. On the one hand it will say it can't rule out the possibility that Irish alumina is ending up in the Russian military supply chain. On the other hand it will fall short of making any concrete conclusions. This despite the fact that exports of alumina to Russia have more than doubled since the war broke out. Tánaiste, you do not need a report to figure out that alumina from Agnish is ending up in Russian weapons. Irish alumina exports to Russia rose from under 400,000 tonnes in 2020 to over 800,000 tonnes in 2024. Latest figures published today show these exports are continuing to soar. We know from the investigation carried out by the Irish Times and the organised crime and corruption reporting project that alumina from Ireland is ending up in Russell-owned smelters at Krasnoyarsk. Krasnoyarsk is Russia's only smelter producing high purity aluminium. This high purity aluminium is essential for the production of fighter jets and missiles. Krasnoyarsk is a major supplier to the Russian arms industry. Tánaiste, exports of alumina to Russia have skyrocketed since the invasion of Ukraine. We know it has been sent to a smelter that supplies the Russian war machine. You should not be waiting for a report to lay out what has been staring you in the face for years. Alumina from Ireland has been used to make Russian weapons and your action is putting jobs at risk. These are highly skilled jobs with union representation and apprenticeship programmes. They are of fundamental importance to the local economy and community. They should never have been left exposed in this way. Tánaiste, your government had the power to step in years ago, ban the sale of alumina to Russia and help the plant find alternative markets. This would have been much easier to do in 2022 when exports to Russia were much lower. We saw this happen in Australia as soon as Ukraine was invaded. Alternative markets were found, exports stayed stable and are now forecast to grow. They acted decisively to protect their industry and jobs. In contrast, this government's inaction and indecision has led to this crisis, an existential threat to jobs. Tánaiste, hiding behind the unpublished report is not good enough. There's huge concern in the region about jobs. So my questions are, will the report be published? When will there be engagement with workers at the plant? Given the government has ruled out nationalisation, what measures are being considered to protect jobs? And is the government seeking EU help in sourcing alternative markets for alumina that is currently being exported to Russia? Thank you very much to Deputy O'Callaghan. Look, I think the most important thing, and we should never lose sight of this in any discussion in relation to Ukraine or in relation to Russia, is Ireland's absolute clear position in relation to this. Ireland absolutely, fully, resolutely supports Ukraine, supports the people of Ukraine. We had President Volodymyr Zelensky here on the first day of our presidency of the Council of the European Union to highlight that level of support and solidarity. We deplore the actions of Russia and this is a country that has enthusiastically supported all sanctions measures that have come from the European Commission. In fact, we're a country that wants to see more sanctions against Russia and we will work at a European level and indeed we will lead that work now as President of the Council of the European Union to pursue that agenda. But it is also important to be clear, Deputy, as you know, that sanctions are a matter decided on collectively at an EU level. You reference Australia. Australia obviously isn't in the European Union. It would be, if your position is that Ireland would now decide at a national level in relation to a sanctions regime, that would tear up every rulebook that we have followed in relation to how we at a European level have worked with solidarity in relation to Ukraine. It has always been the situation that we've worked at an EU level and in fact that has had a positive effect. The EU has already adopted 20 packages of sanctions since the start of Russia's brutal illegal full-scale invasion and discussions are now at a very advanced stage on the 21st package of sanctions aimed to deprive Russia of money, goods and technology used to wage its illegal aggression. Restrictions on the shadow fleet, restrictions on payment channels, restrictions on individual and entity supporting Russia are intended to close loopholes and tighten enforcement. And as I say, we're leading those proposals during our presidency. Now in relation to Agnes Illumina, what we need to do here is follow the evidence. We need to follow the facts and I've been consistently clear and have used the phrase this country will never cherry pick when it comes to sanctions. We support sanctions packages that come from the Commission. Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment is undertaking an investigation to establish the facts. I do think it's important to await the conclusion of that investigation. They're analysing data, they've been in contact with the plant, they're trying to establish the veracity of information that's in the media about the supply chain for Illumina from the company. They've received information from our Ukrainian counterparts, from the Ukrainian government, from a number of member states involved and all of this will be examined and I expect the investigation will be finalised very, very shortly. When an investigation is completed, we'll discuss the results and we will work in lockstep with the European Commission in providing any and all relevant information to them and with our European colleagues too. So this work is ongoing and we take this extraordinarily seriously. I think it's a very fair question in relation to workers, in relation to jobs. I appreciate you raising that and I do think of course should we arrive at a position, and I can't prejudge this at all, should we arrive at a position where the European Commission makes a recommendation in relation to sanctions, we will want to and need to have conversations about two things, about workers absolutely and also about crucial supply chains of Illumina to the European Union, which is of importance too. But as I've consistently said, governments need to be able to do more than one thing and we're very, very clear that you can't cherry-pick when it comes to sanctions. We'll have to follow the facts, follow the evidence and ultimately it'll be for the European Commission to make a recommendation. Peter Calvin. Tánaiste, you must surely know that these exports are feeding Putin's war machine. Do you not think it's unusual that Ireland is one of the very few European countries where our exports to Russia have increased since Russia invaded Ukraine? That's been driven by the exports of Illumina that have more than doubled. Where do you honestly think that Illumina is going? It's going into the smelter that is feeding the companies in Russia that are supplying the Russian military. You know that. Tánaiste, you've sleptwalk into this crisis, you've had ample time to deal with it, more than four years. Have you done anything proactive at all over the last four years or in recent months or weeks to work with the company to find alternative markets for Illumina to protect the jobs at the plant? Have you done anything proactive or are you just waiting and waiting while the facts are staring you in the face? I'm actually now bamboozled by your position. So I'm trying to be constructive and engaged but you want to use kind of political rhetoric, fine. On one hand you're saying go ahead and impose national sanctions on a company that you're accusing of funding the Russian war machine and fueling in terms of Ukraine and the other hand you're saying sit down and have a chat with them. Let's just take this step by step Deputy. First step, establish the facts, provide those facts to the European Commission. Second step, see what the European Commission wishes to do because it's the European Commission that proposes sanctions. Ireland has never, ever, ever blocked, in fact enthusiastically supports all sanctions proposals that come from the Commission and is currently trying to get the 21st sanctions package over the line. And third, absolutely if there are any implications, and we shouldn't prejudge this, if there are any implications work at a European level and a national level to make sure that we can support workers and also to make sure that Illumina, a significant amount of which is being supplied to the European market from the Midwest, that that supply chain can continue as well. So there's a complexity to all of this, this is not as straightforward. We can't just read a newspaper headline and say that's ground slap a sanction on, that's not how European Union membership works. We've been asked by the Commission and indeed the Ukrainian government have welcomed what we're doing to provide the information, the most up-to-date information. I expect that process to conclude very shortly and I'm absolutely crystal clear, as is all of government, there can be no cherry-picking and there won't be any cherry-picking when it comes from Ireland in relation to supporting Ukraine and taking action against Russia.