Duncan Smith
Dublin Fingal East · Labour Party · Ireland
“That is three separate roads that are all in one network and are all closed or heavily restricted because of these works happening at the same time. This is impacting thousands of existing residents, and will do so for a significant period. The works are happening and the homes are being built.”
“We have a very small wastewater treatment plant that has been there for 40 or 50 years and which serviced a much smaller town. It is currently being retrofitted and upgraded, but those works are being delayed.”
“I thank Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, for taking this debate late on a Thursday evening, on the last sitting day of this term. I would like to talk about the town of Swords in north County Dublin.”
“We do not have enough schools and we have a wastewater treatment plant that is absolutely buckling under the pressure. We welcome the houses. There were no mass protests about housing development in Swords. The majority of people who live there moved there, like myself, in the past 20 years and love living there.”
“I know you cannot make an omelette without cracking a few eggs, but there is a disconnect in the planning of these projects that is causing havoc in Swords. We have a massive issue with our bus network, from bus stops to bus services, and again, we do not have a rail link yet.”
“I thank the Minister of State for her response, which speaks to the issue I am raising. Again, she will sense the tone in which I am raising it. There is an awful lot happening and being built, but it is the co-ordination of these works that is the problem.”
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“There is a new reality coming to bear in the world and the United States, unfortunately, can no longer be trusted as an economy ally. In responding to this change in our relationship, the European Union needs to be measured but resolute. We need to be strategic in how we respond to these announcements with negotiations first but at the same time we cannot allow Trump to run roughshod over global markets without standing up to him. We need to react with urgency and not panic. There is no doubt that Donald Trump is displaying traits of a wannabe strong man who sees an opportunity to damage democracies around the world. With only 25% of global citizens now living under liberal democracies compared with 50% in 2004, it is more important than ever that we take a stand against any attempt to weaken other democracies.”
“Last night Donald Trump took aim at every traditional ally of the United States with a blunt and destructive economic weapon. The tariffs his administration has imposed worldwide risk plunging us all into a global recession. In his Rose Garden address, Donald Trump exhibited zero economic rationale for pursuing such an approach but perhaps proved why he is one of very few people in the history of the planet that ended up bankrupting a casino. The President accused states, both friends and foe, essentially of fiscal grand larceny with no basis for these claims. The great deceiver that he is stated his tariffs were reciprocal, claiming the EU charging VAT justifies his tariffs. He even claims that these are discounted tariffs based on a made up 39% rate he claims the EU applies to the United States. Again, there is no basis to these claims.”
“They will want to see leadership from the Minister and the rest of the Government in response to whatever happens on the White House lawn tomorrow at 4 p.m.”
“In fairness to the Tánaiste, I recognise his productivity in engaging on Irish exports to the US economy and on putting such an effort into the St. Patrick’s Day visits over the course of a week in the US. Across all levels, from local government right up, this has been very important. There is no appetite for hysteria here regarding what is going to happen tomorrow. No one wants that. However, we will need to be very reactive to it. I am aware that the Tánaiste is to have meetings on Friday. Does he have anything planned for next week from a parliamentary point of view or in terms of further briefings and debates we can have here, because 77,500 people are directly employed in the pharmaceutical industry? Many of us have friends and family in the industry. The companies are big employers in our communities and there is great concern.”
“While trade is an EU competency, is there anything distinctly Irish that we can do or are doing to help mitigate the effect of the tariffs?”
“The complexity of global supply chains is not lost on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. I am sure it is not lost on the other side either, even though the policies that the US Administration intends to introduce will be blunt and damaging. Approximately 77,500 people are directly employed in the pharmaceutical and medical devices industry in this country, although it is not going to be the only industry impacted if the tariffs go ahead. We have a concern about our drinks industry as well as many others. Key to the so-called Liberation Day, another grotesquely titled set piece in what is only a ten-week-old Trump Presidency, is that it has the capacity to do great damage to our economy. Between 50,000 and 80,000 jobs could be at risk, through either not being created or not being kept. These figures are from the Minister for Finance.”
“In the interests of fair parliamentary order, and it being clear that backbenchers in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, with whom I have deep sympathy, who are sent out to bat, (a), did not have a clue what they were arguing for; (b), had no idea ultimately what they were voting for; and (c), were ultimately clueless as to the impact, having been utterly misled by their own Whips, I ask that we convene that Dáil reform committee and do away with this, which is not working for the Opposition or Government, and indeed is breaking up new friendships in the Regional Independent Group?”
“It is important to pay tribute to the thousands of demonstrators on the streets of Türkiye who protested despite the risk of police brutality. We have to be clear about our rejection of Erdoğan's actions at a European level.”
“While it happened after the EU Council meeting, we will need further and more in-depth briefings about how the EU is engaging with the US Administration after the leaked Signal messages in which JD Vance and Hegseth called the European Union pathetic and freeloaders. These are strange and concerning times and we need to see stronger action from the EU in that regard. While I have the floor, I raise the Government's response to the detention of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul, and others on charges of alleged corruption and terrorism. There is no doubt in the minds of the Labour Party that these actions are politically motivated and aimed at undermining and potentially preventing a challenger from participating in the upcoming elections.”
“We know from his briefing on the occupied territories Bill that our support for the Palestinian people, including those in Gaza and the West Bank, has been weakened and diminished in recent weeks by the new Government's actions, after it did important things last year, such as the recognition of the State of Palestine. He stated that the EU has a long-standing commitment to contribute to a co-ordinated international effort to rebuild Gaza and this plan represents a strong basis for taking forward our engagement. How does that EU plan for the rebuilding of Gaza mesh with the grotesque video from Donald Trump and his Administration about their views on what Gaza should look like in the future? That poses a threat from the United States.”
“It does not compute that if we benefit by drawing down money to invest in and improve our own security and Defence Forces that there will not be conditionality towards a common defence union and an impact on our neutrality. We must have a more rigorous and honest reflection on the conversations on militarism happening in the EU and how that will impact on Ireland. On the Middle East, I hope the Taoiseach strongly put forward our condemnation of Israel's breaking of the ceasefire and pushed for serious sanctions to be placed on Israel. I do not have confidence from what he presented here that that actually took place.”
“What we hear from the European Union and our partner countries is that Ireland remains an outlier, that we must get our act together, and that we should be joining a common defence union, which we are implacably against. What does not compute is the Taoiseach saying that in one way we will be able to benefit from the free-flowing funds from the EU to improve our own defence capabilities, but that there will be no ask from the EU relating to the implementation of our policy of military neutrality. We know that when we required EU funding during the bailout there were significant conditionalities placed on it, as there is for all EU funding mechanisms.”
“The Taoiseach said this very much aligns with the ambitious investment programme that is in place for our own Defence Forces to implement the recommendations of the Commission on the Defence Forces and it aligns with the programme for Government. He says that we will be able to do what we need to do to improve our own security. A couple of hours ago I spoke about the need for us to invest in our own security. That is fine. What the Taoiseach is saying is that we will be able to benefit from the EU's largesse in opening the coffers, but that the EU also fully respects Ireland's policy of military neutrality, which will not be affected in any way. He says our position is "fully understood and respected by our European partners". That is not what we hear from the European Union.”
“It is not the first time it has happened to me. I wish to focus on the massive move towards militarism within the European Union and reflect on what the Taoiseach presented to us. He referred to the loosening of the purse strings in Europe in terms of rearming countries at a time when we have so many crises, including the housing crisis. During the European elections last year, our candidate in Dublin, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, as well as our other candidates, strongly focused on the need for housing and a housing commissioner. We have that in the EU now. Despite significant evidence of housing crises, not only in our country but throughout Europe, the EU has been slow to move to fund a solution, but when it comes to rearmament and militarisation, Ursula von der Leyen is opening the coffers.”
“While the Department of Defence knows and acknowledges that recruitment and retention are a huge issue, as of yet, we have not seen a clear pathway to improvement. We need to be able to stand on our own two feet in regard to our security. The best thing we can do for the EU as a whole is to ensure we look after our own house in the first instance. Our neutrality, like our commitment to development aid, must always remain a key pillar of Irish foreign policy. I call on the Government to fully support this motion and to come in lockstep with the Opposition which, on this issue, is on the right side.”
“I utterly reject shooing away Opposition concerns that Government Ministers had themselves when sitting on the Opposition benches. It raises issues of values and trust. We cannot simply abandon what we say and what we believe just because we sit in a different side of the House. The muddying of the waters the Government has done when it comes to our neutrality actually impedes the broader and more serious conversation we need to have about our own security. As I have outlined, we in the Labour Party are serious about improving our security. At the heart of this issue and our neutrality is the need to improve pay and conditions for our members of the Defence Forces, as well as our need to hold our neutrality dear. Only from those foundations can we achieve any of our further goals.”
“I do not say that to stoke fear; I say it to emphasise the need to invest in our naval fleet alongside detection technologies in order that we can monitor our own waters and invest in our own neutrality. While we know there is a recommended acceleration programme of Naval Service vessel replacement to ensure a balanced fleet of nine modern ships by early in the next decade, there is no confidence the Government will be able to deliver this, considering its record. At the heart of this motion and of our neutrality is the importance of democratic consultation in shaping this country’s defence policy, something this Government and the previous Government, of which the Minister of State was a part, have been utterly devoid of.”
“It is no secret that a Russian shadow fleet vessel was recently "loitering" - for want of a better word - in our waters just off the coast of Cork, directly over one of these cables. We do not even have the technology to properly investigate the vessel. Our detection capabilities are non-existent. While it is a costly and complex procurement process to have an effective detection system, it is clearly something we need to fast-track. That Russian vessel, after leaving our waters, hightailed it up to the Baltics where the Russian fleet is not shy to drop anchors and damage undersea cables. If Ireland were to be subject to similar actions, it would have a real and potential paralysing impact in this country.”
“We in the Labour Party feel there is an urgent need to ensure that the barracks and associated facilitates are upgraded and maintained. There is also a real opportunity to develop new housing on Defence Forces’ land for service members and their families. The pension issue facing so many members of our uniformed services in regard to the public sector single pension scheme needs to be amended to recognise the particular position of workers in these fast accrual professions. Access to supplementary pension is needed to bridge the potential significant gap from retirement to State pension age. The vulnerabilities surrounding our undersea cables is a critical concern we need to address.”
“However, any unused allocation arising from this was utilised to address spending pressures elsewhere in defence. This “prudent approach” has ensured that only €36 million of the overall gross allocation over the 2018-2024 period remained unspent. That is €36 million that could have been invested in the pay and conditions of our standing Defence Forces. If we have a huge retention issue due to, among other things, poor pay, and the Government is willing to spend another €197.7 million specifically on the pay for Defences Forces, never mind that it was later used for other things, did it not at any point cross the Government’s mind that this could be used to invest in the actual pay and conditions to ensure we did not have the said retention problem?”
“The issue is more widespread, however. With regard to our Defence Forces, we are nowhere near the levels of personnel we need, which now only stands at 7,497 members. While I touched on this last week, I wish to talk about a response to a parliamentary question that is incredibly concerning and shows a fundamental disconnect in the Government’s problem in this area. There is a solution within its grasp, but the Government does not act. The parliamentary question to which I am referring references the unspent allocation of Defence Forces’ spending on pay. In 2018 to 2024, the unspent allocation of Defence Forces’ spending on pay was €197.7 million. An addendum to that parliamentary question stated that the unspent allocation over this period arose primarily from Permanent Defence Force numbers falling below the target strength.”
“We simply cannot look to the Americans to protect us. There is a lot to do to get our own house in order. An aspect we absolutely need to look at is the lack of investment in our National Cyber Security Centre. It is now a reality that security of our trade networks and critical infrastructure is under constant threat from cyberattacks, data breaches and disinformation campaigns. The hack of the HSE from Russia was not a one-off. It was a warning that our global supply chains and our State services could be disrupted and manipulated at any point. There are experts in the National Cyber Security Centre who, through lack of funding, constantly have to be reactive rather than proactive against these threats. This has us on the back foot constantly. I urge the Government, as a priority, to take a look and invest in this.”
“While we cannot and will not under any circumstances accept a role in a common defence pact or any offensive actions involving Irish troops, we have a responsibility to ensure our own house is in order when it comes to security. We also know that we do not have a firm ally in the United States. The latest scandal out of the Trump Administration shows an open distain from the Vice President and the Secretary of Defence towards Europe. The Vice President, JD Vance, claimed that actions against the Houthis amounted to “bailing Europe out again”, and the Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, stated that he shared the Vice President’s loathing of European freeloading, calling it pathetic. This is as hostile as an American administration could be towards Europe and that is before we factor in the looming tariffs to come.”
“What we can work on together is our shared view that we need to be investing more in our own security, to protect our neutrality and to keep us safe. I raised this issue last week, and it is important to reiterate that we have not taken our security seriously enough. That starts with the pay and conditions of our Defence Forces and goes all the way up to the lack of investment in our detection systems, which has caused us to rely on the Royal Air Force, something which needs to end. This should be an issue that can unify this House but, unfortunately, this Government has managed to cause yet another wedge. Of course, we have seen the EU as a whole change in recent years, particularly in the past couple of months, with a focus on increased militarism now being the key issue for a host of member states.”
“In talking about moving away from the triple lock, we have heard from a number of Government Members, whether frontbenchers or backbenchers, that we should trust the Government and the Dáil when it comes to when and where we deploy our people. I have to say that the word "trust" is not the first one that springs to mind when thinking of how this current Government behaves. Trust is earned, whether through follow-through on agreements, timely relaying of information requested, or even things as simple not ramming decisions through unilaterally. What I can say for certain is that the Government does not have my trust, and it does not have our trust. I do not want to speak for the rest of the Opposition, but I would put good money on it that it does not have their trust either.”
“The Taoiseach must have read our manifesto cover to cover, based on the number of times he brings it up on the floor of the Dáil, albeit never of course in any good faith. I believe that in these times of uncertainty, when the international order has shifted in ways that truly are unprecedented, it is important to remember our proud history and current role in the area of neutrality, and just how dearly the Irish people hold onto that. For so many people, our neutrality makes up a part of our Irishness. This is an island that has seen horrific violence. As a country and as a society, we hold our neutrality, now more than ever, as a foundational pillar of who we are on the world stage.”
“If this Government is one thing - and Fianna Fáil in particular - it is consistently inconsistent on this issue. This motion calls for a plebiscite that presents a balanced and informed choice, reflecting the role of the triple lock mechanism in Ireland's approach to international deployments to date, the considerations of its impact on peacekeeping operations in the future, and any scope for the removal of the triple lock mechanism to result in potential non-neutral military deployment. These are all incredibly important issues to the Irish public, even if the Government has decided to pretend they are not. We in the Labour Party are staunchly against the removal of the UN approval for Irish peacekeeping missions. We support a referendum to protect our military neutrality, as outlined in our manifesto.”
“With our voice, we have been consistent in pushing for and facilitating peace around the world, and rightly there are huge concerns in the country that Government moves to abandon the triple lock may erode that distinctive, powerful and important global voice. Indeed, the arguments that many of us in the Opposition have made against abandoning the triple lock were also made by the now Taoiseach in 2013. He said then that the triple lock was at the core of our neutrality. He rejected assertions that, through the triple lock mechanism, we were giving unsavoury countries a veto over our actions, saying that this argument was Fine Gael attempting to erode our neutrality. Today, when members of the Opposition make that point, the Taoiseach tells us that the triple lock has absolutely nothing to do with military neutrality.”
“I extend my thanks to the Social Democrats, and to Deputy Gibney in particular, for bringing this motion forward. In Ireland we have a unique position. As a small European nation with a large global footprint, it is both our neutrality and our commitment to development aid which have given us a distinctive voice on the world stage. While many states, including our European partners, are reducing their development aid and while some have renounced their neutrality, we have remained committed to our development aid, which is a good thing, but we are on the verge of damaging our neutrality with what would be the removal of the triple lock.”
“Her daughter is starting a State-sponsored programme to try to get into the workforce for a few hours per week that is well below the threshold. They both sought assurances that a review of the carer’s allowance would not take place because they had just been through a review in the past nine months. They made those representations carefully, but what happened? The Department instigated another review. The disgraceful treatment of carers by the State and the Department continues. This is no more evident than in the ignorance about young carers. This motion goes some way to try to change that. We need more than just platitudes and agreement. We need action. What is happening to our carers is a disgrace.”
“While motions on carers were not rare in the previous Dáil by any stretch of the imagination, progress, unfortunately, has remained slow. A real problem has developed with this Government in recent years - and it is the same Government - whereby empty platitudes have taken the place of real action. Carers, even those who are in receipt of carer’s allowance, because that is not an end in and of itself, have to deal with the constant spectre of the Department over their shoulder waiting to fall down for a review. There is a mendacious culture in the Department to the effect that money given to carers is something that should be reviewed constantly and that needs to be taken back. I am working on a case which concerns a caregiver who is in receipt of carer’s allowance for caring for her daughter.”
“A study by the ESRI shows that there are long-term impacts for young carers specifically around education, with lower leaving certificate grades and less progression to higher education among those young carers involved in care giving. There are clear ripple and knock-on effects throughout their adult life, yet the State takes no role or responsibility and remains wilfully blind to these outcomes and effects. This needs to be addressed by means of cross-departmental work. It simply cannot be allowed to linger unseen and not tackled. We need to see the establishment of a working group on young carers and, equally importantly, we need the Department with the lead responsibility, namely the Minister's Department, to be held accountable.”
“I commend my colleague, Deputy Wall, whose commitment to carers neither begins nor ends with this motion. He has done, and continues to do, wonderful work. I also commend the young carers who are here. Nowhere in this country does the State get better bang for its buck than the money it gives to carers. That is compounded even more by young carers who get nothing. With what they give, and what they save the State, it is absolutely abhorrent that this system continues. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that we will debate carers in the Dáil. We did it a lot in the last Dáil and yet very little has changed. This motion focuses on young carers who gave the most powerful testimonies in the audiovisual during the last Dáil and again today, and yet nothing seems to change.”
“The best thing we can do for European security at the moment is to ensure that Ireland is investing in our own neutrality and our own security. I hope this Government takes that seriously.”
“On the issue of improving our monitoring technology, the Defence Policy Review 2024 was published and stated that the "immediate focus [will be placed on] the development of an Integrated Monitoring and Surveillance System for air, land and sea domains ... " The next formal fixed cycle defence review is to be initiated this year, but it is important that we are kept updated on the delivery of this system and if, indeed, the 2028 expected implementation date is accurate. As I have outlined, we in Labour are serious about improving our own defensive security, but at the heart of the issue is the need to improve pay and conditions for members of our Defence Forces. Only from those foundations can we achieve any of our further goals. We need to ensure that we protect our neutrality.”
“I had a meeting with a number of experts in different specialities in this area since taking on this portfolio, and it has been made even more abundantly clear to me just how vulnerable our undersea cables are. We know that recently, for example, a vessel that is part of the Russian shadow fleet was off the coast of Cork for a number of days literally just loitering over one of our strategic cables. That same vessel is now on its way to the Baltics where we know the Russian shadow fleet has dropped anchors to damage undersea cables. This is happening, and it can and will happen to us if we do not get our own house in order.”
“This is another matter that impacts on retention, which ultimately has an upstream impact on our own security. I have used the word "complacency" when talking about our attitude to defence previously but, to be fair, the bill for that cannot be squarely left at the Government's door. The way in which successive Governments have farmed out responsibility to our allies simply is not sustainable. I, for one, do not want to have to rely on the Royal Air Force for detection capabilities for our own land, air and sea. I want to talk about the vulnerability of our undersea cables that run into Ireland and to the United States, Iceland, the UK and, indeed, Europe.”
“It refers to an underspend in our Defence Forces to the tune of €197 million at a time when our Defence Forces are crying out for better pay and conditions, which would help attract more people to our Defence Forces and help with retention. We in Labour feel there is an urgent need to ensure that our barracks and associated facilities are upgraded and maintained. We also feel there is a real opportunity to develop new housing on Defence Forces land for service members and their families. The Tánaiste and Minister may know that I previously raised the pension issue facing so many members of our uniformed services with regard to the public sector single pension scheme, which needs to be amended to recognise the particular position of workers in these fast accrual professions.”
“The focus on defence is now the key issue for a huge host of member states. While we cannot and will not under any circumstances accept a role in the common defence pact or any offensive actions involving Irish troops, we have a responsibility to get our own house in order from a security point of view. I already raised my serious concerns of the lack of investment in the National Cyber Security Centre, but the issue is much more widespread. Our Defence Forces are nowhere near the level of personnel we need, standing at 7,497 members. I received a response to a parliamentary question yesterday that was maybe the best example I have seen of Government seeing an issue and having a solution yet bungling its implementation.”
“While the tectonic plates of the international order shift, it is important to remember our proud history of neutrality and just how dearly the Irish people hold it. We in Labour have made clear our concerns with regard to any alterations to the triple lock and the potential long-term impacts a change to the triple lock would have on our neutrality. That, however, does not mean we do not have a responsibility to increase our own security capacity. It is important that I am crystal clear on this matter. We have not taken our own security seriously enough. That starts from the pay and conditions of our Defence Forces and goes all the way up to our lack of investment in sonar, military and detection capabilities. The buck has to stop now and there is no more room for complacency. We have seen the EU as a whole change almost overnight.”
“The hack on the HSE from Russia needs to serve as a constant reminder that our global supply chains and State services could be disrupted and manipulated. It is no longer a distant concern. To that end, we need to see the National Cyber Security Centre provided with greater investment and greater resources. At the moment, it is more reactive than proactive. That could change with proper funding and proper resourcing. In Ireland we have a unique position. We are a small nation with a large global footprint. Our neutrality and independence have given us a distinctive voice on the world stage. However, this is not a time for isolation. As I already said, now is the time to double down on our relationships with like-minded countries. It is a time to be bold and hold firm on our national values.”
“Our participation in the Single Market has not only boosted our economic fortunes, but it has also anchored us to our allies who share our values of democracy, fairness and peace. Trade cannot thrive in a world of insecurity, and such a world has been created by Donald Trump in a manner that has caught us all by surprise. As we witness an increasing number of geopolitical challenges and the rise of hybrid threats, it is clear that national security is no longer confined to our borders. The interconnected nature of today's world means that events halfway across the globe have direct and immediate impacts on our own security. This is particularly true in the digital age where the security of our trade networks and critical infrastructure is under constant threat from cyberattacks, data breaches and disinformation campaigns.”
“International trade has long been a powerful driver of economic prosperity and as a small open economy our trade relationships to the United States and beyond have helped fuel our growth and bolster the standard of living for millions of people in this country. Yet trade is not simply about economics. Trade is a tool of diplomacy and co-operation. Until recently, we in the western world have looked at the mutual dependencies that trade has created to help foster peace and stability but now, as I said, with President Trump, those sure footings have now become less sure. As an EU member state, Ireland is committed to multilateralism and rules-based trade, and that will not change.”
“We need to see the Irish Government further strengthen our relationship with our counterparts in the European Union, which we know are strong and, indeed, with the Labour-led Government in the United Kingdom. I was encouraged by the recent summit the Taoiseach and Prime Minister held in Liverpool. We must work to strengthen our bond, and we in Labour want to work with the Government on this. In the most uncertain of times, it is with our like-minded friends in the international community that Ireland can find a firm footing. Indeed, we look at the new leader of the Liberal Party of Canada who has proud Irish roots and we must strive to grow that relationship in the coming months.”
“The occupied territories Bill is in the overall scheme of things a small measure but, nonetheless, not an unimportant one, and it is something this Government should be supporting and promoting and on which we should have clarity. There is no doubt that Ireland is now in an incredibly precarious situation with the looming threat of tariffs on the European Union set to disproportionately impact us. By all accounts, disgraced fighters now have more pull within the US Administration than our own Government, having sit down meetings with national security advisers, the Secretaries of Defence and, indeed, the President himself, as well as that being amplified by that very President.”
“I would posit that the transactional nature of the Trump Administration to this point seems to be to weaken the strength of democracies in Europe and throughout the world that have traditionally been US allies. He sees democracy, and strong democracies and real freedoms, as threats. We need to see clarity from our Government once again in terms of the occupied territories Bill. Yesterday, the Taoiseach stated that the Bill was on the legislative agenda despite reports claiming the opposite from his time in the US last week. Again, I am on record as saying that what the Irish State has done in terms of the recognition of Palestine is not unimportant. In fact, it is very important that it has been recognised as such.”
“Not only do they want to take away the security supports for Ukraine, leaving it more open to attack and invasion, but they also want to harvest the natural resources and infrastructure of that country. It is absolutely horrific to think that this is taking place before our very eyes, and the EU is powerless at this moment to stop it. The precedent that is being set here is incredibly dangerous for global stability and continues to creep into any conflict that the US is involved in. The Trump Administration is seemingly hell-bent on being transactional in nature with traditional allies, but what does "transactional in nature" mean? Transactional to what end?”
“This attack on western liberal democracy by the United States is making the world more insecure. When the President of the United States feels more comfortable in the company of autocrats, be it in North Korea, Russia or elsewhere, than he does within the United Nations or with traditional allies in the European Union, it is not parliamentary hyperbole from our very privileged position in Ireland to say the world is changing before our eyes. When we look back at this period, we may see that it is another so-called end of history. I believe it is that serious. Only last night, we saw the White House put out that they should be given control of Ukraine's energy infrastructure as part of ongoing peace talks. This is incredible.”
“In the most grotesque, public and horribly modern manner, the video gave the go-ahead. We are witnessing this before our very eyes. Added to this is the weakening of democracy, the questioning of elections, both within the United States by the President and in other countries around the world that have strong democracies. We see the promotion of the far right in countries such as Germany, with JD Vance promoting the AfD. All of this makes the world more insecure, from a direction we never felt. The primacy of western liberal democracies is not without its problems and challenges. It has also developed great inequalities throughout the world, as well as bringing peace and stability, a decrease in wars, and firming up countries as allies after the Second World War that had been enemies for centuries.”
“If this is just the start, then it seems to be the start of what will be the final push of the Palestinian people out of Gaza at the same time as the UN has reported the acceleration of illegal settlements in the West Bank. Israel is now operating in the most unfettered manner it has done in its entire history. This has been given the green light by the Trump administration. We can point to that AI-generated video of the grotesquely labelled "Gaza Riviera". That was a very serious piece of social media content. Along with the words Donald Trump has said, it has effectively given the green light and indicated that there will be no ramifications for the State of Israel if it pushes the Palestinian people off what remains of their lands in Gaza and the West Bank.”