Ireland’s Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne, has rejected suggestions that the controversy over alleged alumina exports from Aughinish Alumina in Limerick to Russia has overshadowed the start of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Speaking in Strasbourg, Byrne said the issue was on the European agenda but was not dominating discussions, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky raising concerns during the opening ceremony of Ireland’s EU presidency at Dublin Castle.
His comments came after the European Parliament approved a non-binding motion calling for alleged alumina exports from the European Union to Russia to be included in future sanctions. While the amendment did not specifically mention Aughinish Alumina, it was intended to encourage the European Commission to consider such exports in future sanctions packages.
The amendment received support from Fine Gael MEPs Seán Kelly, Regina Doherty, Maria Walsh and Nina Carberry, as well as Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin and Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan. However, Fianna Fáil MEPs Billy Kelleher, Barry Andrews, Barry Cowen and Cynthia Ní Mhurchú abstained from the vote.