Now we know, the Government's report into Aughinish Alumina will be a classic fudge. On the one hand it will say, it cannot 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 is despite that exports of alumina to Russia have more than doubled since the war broke out. The Tánaiste does not need a report to figure out that alumina from Auginish is ending up in Russian patents. Irish alumina exports to Russia rose from under 400,000 tonnes in 2020 to over 800,000 tonnes in 2024. The latest figures published today showed that 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 Russian owned smelters in 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.

Exports of alumina to Russia has skyrocketed since the invasion of Ukraine. We know it is being sent to a smelter that supplies the Russian war machine. The Government should not be waiting for a report to lay out what has been staring it in the face for years. Alumina from Ireland is being used to make Russian weapons.

The Government's inaction 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. The Tánaiste's Government had the power to step in years ago to ban the sale of alumina to Russia and help the plant to 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 and existential threat to jobs.

Hiding behind the unpublished report is not good enough. There is huge concern in the region about jobs. Will the report be published? When will there be engagement with workers at the plant? Given that the Government has ruled out nationalisation, what measures are being considered to protect jobs? Is the Government seeking EU help in sourcing alterative markets for alumina that is currently being exported to Russia?

I thank the Deputy very much. The most important thing - and we should never lose sight of this in any discussion in relation to Ukraine or Russia - is Ireland's absolute clear position in relation to this. Ireland absolutely, fully and resolutely supports Ukraine and the people of Ukraine. We had President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 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. This is a country that has enthusiastically supported all sanction measures that have come from the European Commission. We are a country that wants to see more sanctions against Russia. 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.

It is also important to be clear, as the Deputy knows, that sanctions are a matter decided on collectively an EU level. The Deputy referenced Australia. Australia obviously is not in the European Union. If the Deputy's 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 at a European level we have worked with solidarity regarding Ukraine. It has always been the situation that we worked at an EU level. 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. 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 and restrictions on the shadow fleet, payment channels and individuals and entities supporting Russia are intended to close loopholes and tighten enforcement. As I said, we are leading those proposals during our Presidency.

Regarding Aughinish Alumina, what we need to do here is follow the evidence. We need to follow the facts. I have been consistently clear and used the phrase that this country will never cherry-pick when it comes to sanctions. We support sanctions packages that come from the Commission. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment is undertaking an investigation to establish the facts. It is important to await the conclusion of that investigation. It is analysing data. It has been in contact with the plant. It is trying to establish the veracity of information that is in the media about the supply chain for alumina from the company. It has received information from our Ukrainian counterparts, the Ukrainian Government and a number of member states that are involved. All of this will be examined. I expect that the investigation will be finalised very shortly. When the investigation is completed, we will discuss the results, and we will work in lockstep with the European Commission in providing any and all relevant information to it and our European colleagues, too. This work is ongoing. We take this extraordinarily seriously.

It was a very fair question in relation to workers and jobs. I appreciate the Deputy raising that. Of course, should we arrive at a position - and I cannot prejudge this at all - where the European Commission makes a recommendation in relation to sanctions, we will want to and need to have conversations about two things. The first is about workers. The second is about crucial supply chains of alumina to the European Union, which is of importance too. As I have consistently said, governments need to be able to do more than one thing. We are very clear that one cannot cherry-pick when it comes to sanctions. We have to follow the facts and evidence. Ultimately, it is for the European Commission to make a recommendation.

The Tánaiste must surely know that these exports are feeding Putin's war machine. Does he not think it is unusual that Ireland is one of the very few European countries where our exports to Russia have increased since Russia invaded Ukraine? That has been driven by the exports of alumina that have more than doubled. Where does the Tánaiste honestly think that alumina is going? It is going into the smelter that is feeding the companies in Russia that are supplying the Russian military. The Tánaiste knows that. He has slept walked into this crisis. He has had ample time to deal with it with more than four years. Has he done anything proactive at all over the past four years or in recent months or weeks to work with the company to find alternative markets for alumina to protect the jobs at the plant? Has he done anything proactive or is he just waiting while the facts are staring him in the face?

I am now bamboozled by the Deputy's position. I am trying to be constructive and engage but he wants to use political rhetoric. That is fine. On one hand, he is saying to go ahead and impose national sanctions on a company that he is accusing of funding the Russian war machine and fuelling in terms of Ukraine. On the other hand, he saying to sit down and have a chat with them. Let us take this step by step. The first step is to establish the facts and provide those facts to the European Commission. The second step is to see what the European Commission wishes to do because it is the European Commission that proposes sanctions. Ireland has never blocked. In fact, we enthusiastically support all sanctions proposals that come to the Commission and we currently trying to get the 21st sanctions package over the line.

Absolutely, if there are any implications, and we should not prejudge this, we should work at European and national levels to make sure we can support workers and make sure the supply chain of alumina, a significant amount of which is being supplied to the European market from the mid-west, can continue as well. There is a complexity to all of this. This is not straightforward. We cannot just read a newspaper headline, and say, "That is grand. Slap a sanction on it". That is now how European Union membership works. We have been asked by the Commission - and the Ukrainian Government has welcomed what we are doing - to provide the most up-to-date information. I expect that process to conclude very shortly and I am absolutely crystal clear, as is all of the Government, there can be no cherry picking - and there will not be - when it comes to Ireland supporting Ukraine and taking action against Russia.