Neale Richmond
Dublin Rathdown · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I am grateful to Deputy Ó Murchú for raising this once again. I welcome the comments by his party leader this week when she declared that this is a great State and a great place to live in. It makes a welcome change from most other days of the week.”
“Another thing that must be looked at when discussing a united Ireland is that a lot of work has to be done to show example from political representatives on the base level of sectarianism that at least two other colleagues on these benches and I put up with every day.”
“They could not decide among themselves in the "Yes" campaign whether they would have a new form of sterling or a currency pegged to sterling or adopt the euro. That is not an issue for us. We join the European Union and we join the euro. It is simple as.”
“I will make a few concluding remarks to follow on from some of the points made by the Taoiseach in his opening iteration because in his 20 minutes he did not cover them all.”
“Over the coming months, we will act impartially serving as an honest broker among our fellow member states to progress many files in areas that were raised here today. Our work will respond to the overall interests and needs of the union, its member states and citizens across Europe.”
“More pertinently to the Deputy's questions, very real charges have been placed in The Irish Times and by other investigative journalists stating that the amounts of alumina being produced from Aughinish are going indirectly to the Russian war machine. If that is the case, it is completely unacceptable.”
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“I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Deputies Duncan Smith and Heneghan have asked similar questions and we will have a longer debate on it this afternoon. The conflict in Sudan has resulted in the world’s most severe humanitarian and protection crisis, with more than 150,000 deaths, over 2 million forcibly displaced and more than 21 million people facing crisis levels of hunger. Following the appalling recent attacks against civilians by the Rapid Support Forces, RSF, in El-Fasher, violence continues to escalate in north Darfur and the Kordofan regions. Large-scale, ethnically motivated atrocities, including summary executions, civilian detentions and rape and starvation as weapons of war, are unfortunately widespread.”
“The coalition was established in response to the urgent and unprecedented financial crisis confronting the Palestinian Authority. The officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in headquarters and throughout the mission network, particularly in the region, continue to work tirelessly to represent Ireland's strong position on the conflict based on the fundamental principles of international law. Ireland's position - the fundamental belief that all states must adhere to international law - has never faltered. What we can do and do can make a difference. Ireland's engagement on the issue has not waned and will not. We will continue our work to promote peace and a path towards a negotiated two-state solution with Israel and Palestine living side by side in real peace and security.”
“This includes €20 million in core support to the UN Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, this year which brings our support to €58 million since 2023. That additional €6 million brought Ireland's support to the people of Palestine to over €35 million this year. This €6 million will be allocated to Ireland's UN partners, including €2 million to UNICEF, €2 million to United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, €1 million to the World Food Programme and €1 million to WHO. Ireland has provided 177 tonnes of supplies, including tents, blankets, water, cans and other vital household items to Gaza under Ireland's rapid response initiative. In September, Ireland joined the emergency coalition for the financial stability of the Palestinian Authority.”
“The Department has conducted eight complex evacuation operations from Gaza over the past six months after borders reopened in April. In 2024, the Government approved the evacuation of up to 30 sick children from Gaza to Ireland for treatment and care. A total of 21 patients have already been medically evacuated to Ireland, along with 52 accompanying family members. The Department of Health and the HSE continues to engage with the World Health Organization, WHO, and the EU to provide further missions. Our financial and humanitarian response to the situation in Gaza has also been significant. Ireland has provided over €101 million in support to the people of Palestine since January 2023. More than €89 million has been provided since October 2023.”
“On 19 July 2024, the ICJ delivered an advisory opinion on the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. Ireland filed a detailed written submission to the court and the Attorney General on behalf of the governments that participated in our hearings. Ireland subsequently cosponsored a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly on 18 September 2024, which seeks to implement the court's advisory opinion. On consular assistance, the Department of foreign affairs has supported approximately 300 people to leave Gaza and travel to Ireland. This includes Irish citizens and their immediate dependants, scholarship students and individuals of critical skills who have employment in Ireland.”
“We have welcomed the advisory opinion which authoritatively affirms Israel's obligation under international law in relation to the presence and activities of the UN, other international organisations and third states in and regarding the occupied Palestinian territory. In January, Ireland filed a declaration of intervention at the International Court of Justice in South Africa's case against Israel under the Genocide Convention. In February, Ireland filed a detailed written submission with the ICJ on advisory proceedings concerning the obligations of Israel in relation to the United Nations and other international organisations as well as third states in the occupied Palestinian territory.”
“Ireland has been an active participant in the seven meetings of the global alliance for the implementation of the two-state solution that have taken place since its establishment at UN high-level week last year. We will be hosting a meeting of the global alliance in Ireland in January 2026. Ireland is also pursuing action through the international courts to address breaches of international law and international humanitarian law in Gaza and the West Bank. On 22 October 2025, the International Court of Justice delivered an advisory opinion on the obligations of Israel in relation to the United Nations and other international organisations as well as third states in the occupied Palestinian territory.”
“The outcome document of the conference - the New York declaration - was endorsed by 142 countries in a vote at the UN General Assembly. The Taoiseach attended a reconvened session of the conference during the UN high-level week in September where he called for a political path to end the cycle of violence. We also welcomed that a number of states took steps towards the recognition of the State of Palestine in the lead up to and during the UN high-level week last September. The working connection with the UN high-level conference and its output is an expression of relationships that we have developed, including with partners in the region in relation to the shared goals in support of the two-state solution.”
“We support further recent proposals from the European Commission to sanction extremist Israeli ministers and violent settlers as well as Hamas. Ireland along with nine other EU member states also wrote to the High Representative and Vice President calling for the EU to undertake a detailed review of its compliance with the July 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, ICJ. We are taking extensive actions at the international level in response to the situation in Gaza and the West Bank and in support of the people of Palestine. Through our work as a co-chair of a working group alongside Türkiye, we are one of a small number of EU member states that played a central role at the high-level UN conference on implementing the two-state solution held in New York last July.”
“The European External Action Service's subsequent review found that Israel is in breach of its human obligations. This is no surprise to anybody in this Chamber. In September 2025, the European Commission announced a package of proposals in light of this review, including a proposal to suspend the core trade related provisions of the EU-Israel association agreement. Ireland has consistently called for the EU to take concrete action in response to egregious Israeli breaches of human rights and democratic principles. We have made clear our view that the EU must keep these proposals on the table regardless. Ireland strongly supported successive rounds of EU sanctions against violent Israeli settlers under its global human rights sanctions agreement adopted in April and July 2024.”
“Ireland's principal stance, backed up by concrete actions, has been widely acknowledging, including by partners in the region. As Deputies will remember, Ireland recognised the State of Palestine long before the UN high-level conference on the two-state solution, which took place earlier this year. This was a step we took alongside Norway and Spain in May 2024. At the EU level, Ireland has been to the forefront in calling for appropriate European action in response to Israel's breaches of international law, often advocating for policies at an early stage that have later garnered widespread support. Ireland led the way on the proposal to review Israel's compliance to article 2 of the association agreement, first proposing this step alongside Spain in February 2024.”
“The Government fully understands the depth of feeling on the subject of Palestine and is making every effort to contribute to work at EU and international levels to bring the current conflict to the end while continuing to work on a long-term solution. The Government also understands the urge to do more, to force the dial and bring an end to the horrific suffering for Palestinians and Israelis alike. I wish to take the opportunity today to take stock of the contribution Ireland has made to date. The Government has not been a bystander in the face of tragic events. We have at all times sought to take action, both to address immediate needs and to make a longer-term contribution to peace and stability in the Middle East.”
“It is clear the strength of opinion held across the House on the situation in Gaza and, indeed, in the West Bank and on the importance attached to this draft legislation. The programme for Government commitments to prohibiting the imports of goods from illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. The general scheme before the House delivers on this commitment. Trade and services are considerably more complex than is the case with goods. There remains considerable legal uncertainty as whether the inclusion of services is permissible under EU law. We also have to take account of practical issues with regard to implementation where services are to be included in the scope of this Bill. By their very nature, services are varied, intangible and do not lend themselves to ready identification in the same way that goods do.”
“We must continue our support of the Ukrainian people until there is peace in Ukraine that allows for the reconstruction of Ukraine and the reintroduction of Ukraine into the global world order and, equally, until we see Ukraine in due course take its rightful seat as a fellow member of the European Union. That is something Ireland supports. Ireland supports European enlargement more generally, but having Ukraine as part of the European Union would be good for Ukraine, the European Union and, crucially, Ireland. I thank the Deputies from all parties and none who contributed to this debate.”
“Energy prices have gone up due to Russia's illegal invasion and attacking of pipelines, among other things. This war, as well as being horrific, is taking so many lives. Deputy Heneghan speaks of the Ukrainian community he represents. I take issue in that I do not think he quite plays at the same level as the Soroka brothers but I know they are members of the same club. We are talking about people seeing their families wiped out and seeing their husbands, sons and fathers being sent to war because they have no choice. If you really want to talk brass tacks, this hurts Irish people in the pocket as well as being a potential existential threat to the future of European safety and security and the freedom and democracy we all cherish in this Republic.”
“The Government has made it clear that we stand with our European friends and colleagues in support of a fellow European nation that has had its sovereignty invaded by an illegal force, whichc has breached repeated international treaties to which it is party, as is Ukraine. We look to the future and the future has to be clear. We want peace on this Continent because the impacts of the war are being materially felt by Irish people on a daily basis. Our grocery and energy prices are high due to the inflationary process of Russia's war in Ukraine. Ukraine was the breadbasket of Europe in terms of the production of grain. That has been severely hampered by the acts of Russia. Ukraine was a key provider of natural gas and a key facilitator of the travelling of natural gas and other raw minerals across the European Continent.”
“I travelled to Ukraine and to Lviv for the signing ceremony to which Ireland, with a number of countries from Europe and around the world, were party. There has to be accountability. There has to be work in the international criminal courts because Russia's invasion of Ukraine is illegal. We see consistent reports of Russian activity within Ukrainian territory. The Taoiseach detailed at length the forced kidnapping of children from the Ukrainian territory into Russia. We see attacks on food and energy, which are deemed war crimes. There has to be accountability for that. The Irish people have made it clear that they stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. They have opened their hearts and homes.”
“As I have stated before, over 50 Members of this House find themselves sanctioned by the Russian Federation due to the diktat of the ambassador in Orwell Road simply for saying clearly that the Russian war is illegal. There are tools for accountability. When we talk of sanctions and enter into the 19th round of EU sanctions against Russia, that is accountability. When we talk of freezing Russian assets, that is accountability. The Irish Government's position is clear that there is the ability to use the proceeds of frozen assets to pay for the repair and reconstruction of the Russian damage in Ukraine. That is a policy we are keen on in terms of accountability. When we set up the tribunal at the Council of Europe, that was backed.”
“Whether we like it or not, or believe in some form of splendid geographic isolation, a Russian victory across Ukraine would have a massive impact on the Continent of Europe and on the European Union, of which we are a member. If Ukraine falls, where is next - the Baltic states, Poland? We have already seen transgressions of drones into European Union airspace, hybrid warfare activity and systems attacked in Estonia. Our own health system was hacked a number of years ago and sent offline by a criminal gang that was operating with impunity in the Russian Federation. We see levels of disinformation and misinformation online throughout the electoral process in countries like the Netherlands, France and Austria.”
“What I mean when I say we need to do more is that we need to resource our Defences Forces more and continue investing in new equipment. Respectfully, I answered one technical query Deputy Healy-Rae asked. I moved on five minutes ago. I am talking about a situation that impacts his constituents as much as it impacts mine. He was given his time; I am given my time to respond for the Government. Respectfully, I will continue without interruption, if that is all right. When we talk about solidarity with Ukraine and the cost of providing supports to the Ukrainian people, being humanitarian and welcoming people into our homes and homesteads, we also have to ask the cost of not doing that. What is the cost of a Russian victory in Ukraine?”
“I only have ten minutes and referred to Deputy Healy-Rae's point five minutes ago. I am referring to Deputy Heneghan's questions. That is why we have a memorandum of understanding on defence with the United Kingdom and why we co-operate in sharing information with the tech companies and the private sector. It is to provide those cables. I acknowledge, first and foremost, that we need to do more.”
“There has been the setting-up of a maritime defence system to make sure those undersea cables can be monitored. We need to acknowledge the requirement for co-operation on defence. That does not mean joining any alliances or anything like that. It is basic common sense that when we talk of cables that serve the entire Continent of Europe from North America, we speak to our neighbours in Europe. That is why we have a memorandum of understanding -----”
“People are right to raise issues and points of clarification, as Deputy Healy-Rae did. I respect his right to do so and acknowledge the points he raised, but when people bring up the EU migration pact, which has nothing specifically to do with providing shelter for up to 118,000 Ukrainian refugees, it takes issue with the essence of what we are trying to debate. Deputy Heneghan raised a number of points requiring a specific response. One was on the need to strengthen our capabilities as a militarily neutral sovereign country. I fully agree with him and that is why the review of the Commission on the Defence Forces laid out three options and the Government is pursuing the second option. There has been a massive increase in resources to our cyberdefence capability.”
“Respectfully, I answered the Deputy on one technical point, which is clear. Training people to remove land mines is not taking sides in a war. The national position is that we are not politically neutral; we are militarily neutral. If the Deputy thinks it is taking sides to remove land mines from blowing up women and children, that it is a different interpretation of what we are doing. Deputy Lawless made the point the triple lock goes back to 2011, when actually it goes back to the 1960 Defence Act. I say that deliberately because it is important to provide clarity. Deputy Collins managed to make a three-minute contribution to a debate on Ukraine and not mention Ukraine once. This is really important. Other people discussed immigration and tied it to Ukraine. I have no issue with that.”
“I am just providing a clarification; I am not looking to get into a debate on it. We send members of the Defence Forces to train in de-mining activities. That is not training people for war; it is removing land mines from potentially targeting civilians. I am not taking issue with the other points the Deputy raised, but that specific one is particularly important.”
“I thank the Deputies from all sides of the House and Ministers for their contributions today. I will reply to some of the points in order to provide clarification but from the get-go, I welcome the overwhelming, if not total sense of solidarity between this House and the people of Ukraine, particularly from opposition Members who recognise this is an utterly illegal and brutal war by the Russian Federation under the yoke of Vladimir Putin. It was initiated solely by the Russian Federation. The response to this brutal war has been remarkable. We are seeing unparalleled levels of European solidarity, both European Union and broader European solidarity, recognising the absolute need to provide that support for Ukraine. It is important to clarify a few points and I do so respectfully.”
“People have opened their homes and communities to more than 118,000 Ukrainians since this outbreak of this iteration of the war. There has been very real humanitarian support and real, clear support from this Government for non-lethal efforts. I question anyone who says that the provision of training to de-mine Ukraine to stop women and children from being blown up in Ukraine by Russian mines are things that we should not be supporting. There is a peaceful future for the people of Ukraine and it must be a future that we in Ireland support through our absolute support, as the Taoiseach alluded to, for making sure that Ukraine has a speedy accession to the European Union.”
“The Taoiseach and I both find ourselves on Russian sanctions lists, a deliberate act of provocation by the Russian embassy, located, sadly, in my constituency. That is why it is imperative that this brutal war be ended as soon as possible on terms that are true to what Ukraine stands for, in protecting its sovereign territory and independence, recognising the importance of the UN Charter and making sure that it dissuades those who see Russia's actions as being viable options for their own nationalistic goals or indeed encouraging Russia. If it is allowed to run amok continuously across Ukraine, where is next? We must note that there has been tangible, real Irish support to the people of Ukraine, as alluded to by both the Taoiseach and Minister of State.”
“It is a war that is having an extremely material impact on every home, every household and every family that we represent in Dáil Éireann, in Ireland, but equally in so many homes, households and livelihoods across Europe and, most perversely, in the poorest countries of the world, which rely on the energy and food that would ordinarily come from Ukraine, but of course we see energy and food being used as weapons of war by the Russian war machine. Let it not be lost on us that we are also seeing increasing activities of hybrid warfare emanating from Russia, as alluded to by the Minister of State, which is having a direct impact. That can be drones flying over European territory, criminal hacking of European systems or the sheer amount of disinformation being added to our political discourse here in Ireland and across the European Union.”
“I join both the Taoiseach and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, in commending the people of Ukraine on their brave defence of their homeland and, equally, to utterly condemn Russia for its brutal and illegal war. Let there be no equivocation: there is one single aggressor and one sole reason for this brutal conflict, which is the madness of the dictatorship of Vladimir Putin that is driving this war.”
“I know Senator Andrews was on the streets at the time, 20 years ago, because I remember seeing him at the march. We marched to make poverty history. Would that march happen again today? How have we, as the political class, abandoned that issue? Let us bring it back. I am so grateful for the kind invitation from the Leader to address the Seanad on this point, and the invitation to address the EU affairs committee and foreign affairs committee with Senator Ahearn earlier in the session. That is the point; we need to keep talking about it and show everyone who wants to shout and roar about the issues that are affecting our constituencies on a daily basis and think about what the source of those issues is and how we address the problem at source.”
“It is a huge amount of money, with 90% committed to development, but you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be member states wanting to chip away at that. They will be wanting to chip away at it, and it is the responsibility of countries like Ireland, Spain, Denmark and other reliable partners to not just guilt people into this and say this is the right thing to do but make the case that this is an investment. This is the selfless thing to do, but it is the selfish point of view. Investing in overseas development assistance matters. Having debates in the Seanad about this matters. I spoke to the British international development secretary and she said that when her predecessor cut the rate budget, the saddest thing was there was no any public outcry.”
“We need to target that, but what can we do? We must continue to make the case and to support programmes like the Our World awards in more than 400 national schools across the country. We work with global citizenship education and community groups across the country. From a governmental point of view, the most important thing we can do when we approach Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of next year is to make it very clear that development is going to be part of it. The new multi-annual financial framework and the first suggestions the Commission brought out in July and updated in September of this year showed a budget for global Europe of just under €300 billion.”
“Senator Andrews is right: Israel does need to be held to account, but the occupied territories Bill alone is not enough. We need to see accountability at a European Union level in particular. All Senators asked about what the impact of overseas development assistance and the reduction in it was. It is not just the United States. The USA represented about 22% of global ODA. The EU is worth more than 40%. The United Kingdom - the country of Tony Blair, who told us they were going to make poverty history, and we saw the 0.7% commitment really come out of that time – is going to reduce its ODA budget from 0.5% to 0.3%. We have seen reductions by other countries that have been solid partners before, such as Sweden and Belgium. They are doing it for lots of different reasons – some financial and others for politically motivated reasons.”
“Senator Andrews is right that the Government parties committed in their manifestoes to enacting an occupied territories Bill. I was in this House in 2018 when Senator Black introduced her version of the Bill. As he knows, it was only the ICJ judgment of July 2024 that gave us the opportunity. We have worked from that. We asked the Attorney General in July to look at whether we could do new legislation. He agreed just over a year ago that it was possible. We had the general election. We had the campaign. It went before the foreign affairs committee for pre-legislative scrutiny. We are trying everything possible to include services. Even though there are different legal opinions, that might not be possible. The Tánaiste has confirmed that we will see legislation return to this House extremely quickly. I will still be supportive of that.”
“An opinion poll by Dóchas ahead of the general election showed that 76% of Irish people back our ODA. We have excellent representatives like Councillor Ben Ward on Carlow County Council who is taking the initiative. Unfortunately, to be frank, we have a number of lazy figures in the media and one or two Members of this House and the Lower House who think that this is easy money. They ask to get a cut and about why we are "wasting" money abroad when we have issues at home. We are increasing the housing budget and our health budget. We can all accept that a lot of the issues in the State are not necessarily financial, but structural, yet that does not rob from us the responsibility. We are a wealthy country and with that wealth and prosperity comes success.”
“I have no issue in saying that. We have to address those issues and we are looking at them through the diaspora lens. People talk about immigration in recent years but the largest migrant group into Ireland is returning Irish emigrants. Let us just remember that when we talk about people coming here. We do want Irish people to come home. We want them to have overseas experience. We have all done it. I remind Senator Ahearn that spending time abroad on land or even on sea is really impactful to all of our abilities. On Senator Andrews's point about delivering the message of the importance of overseas development assistance, the few of us here who have contributed today know the message. We all knew the message at the EU affairs committee yesterday. The Irish people know the message.”
“We had a series of engagements in Australia. Not only do we have an embassy there with the wonderful ambassador, Fiona Flood, in Canberra, but we also have a consulate in Sydney and we are opening a new consulate in Melbourne. We already have driving licence exchange agreements with Australia. That is done at a provincial level. We are starting the process to secure our first reciprocal relationship at a state level in the United States with the state of New York. We hope to follow through with that pattern in Philadelphia, Massachusetts, Illinois and New Jersey before moving on. We already have agreements in existence with Canada. The recognition of experience and qualifications, visas for spouses, and higher education visas are not under my remit. Neither is the fact that we are living in a housing crisis.”
“It is not just Russia; it is China historically throughout sub-Saharan Africa, and perhaps other actors who would not be as nefarious, be they India or the UAE. They are filling the gap but are not doing so on the value-based system that we hold so dear in Ireland. It is far more transactional. I will touch very briefly on the diaspora, which is so important, and the recognition of experience. As Senator Murphy knows - I think he has engaged in it - I am coming to the end of my consultation on a new diaspora strategy. The existing strategy lapses at the end of this calendar year. We will launch a new strategy at the end of April at the Global Irish Civic Forum, which will be held in Dublin Castle. We have had more than 23 in-person consultations and we received 10,000 online submissions from individuals.”
“The fact is that farmers not only have enough milk to feed their own families but they are able to sell to the market. That means they and their kids are able to stay in the region and live prosperous and healthy lives. They are positive impacts that affect us all. Senator Murphy hit the nail on the head of something I have been trying to get across, in particular at a European level. If western countries – to use an old-fashioned term – stand back from the gap, who fills it? When we are trying to get the EU-African Union assembly to agree on motions condemning the actions of Russia, they turn around and ask why they would condemn Russia, which is providing them with mercenary troops from the Wagner Group, funding, and propping up their governments. Russia has filled the gap.”
“They are forced to have sex without their consent with older relations. They come to the Rainbo Initiative to be physically, emotionally and socially rehabilitated. I know an example of one young lady who bore a child at 14, who is now 17 and is going to university next year. She had no choice but to bear a child at the hands of her uncle. This is the sort of barbaric stuff that brings us back to debates about our own history. We can talk about the other outcomes. In a more practical example, I was with a group of nomadic farmers in Tanzania. By working with Teagasc in Fermoy, we send agricultural scientists from Tanzania to Fermoy for a couple of weeks who go back and train nomadic farmers. They have increased their milk yield threefold.”
“Senator Ahearn asked for a little bit more information about the Rainbo Initiative. It is a very moving one that I came across just outside Kenema in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone is a country that has been ravaged by civil war in recent decades. Anyone who has seen the movie "Blood Diamond" knows exactly how brutal the conflict was. As part of that, in all areas of conflict around the world we see women and girls being used as tools of warfare. Sexual and physical abuse of women and girls is widespread. The forced rape of teenage girls in conflict areas is well known. We see what comes out of that and the societal norms, unfortunately, in far too many countries in the global south means that the Rainbo Initiative is working with dozens of young girls every year who, as teenagers, are forced to marry.”
“Many women have fled very difficult situations and have sought asylum here. It speaks to the point that, unfortunately, for the first time ever, we are seeing an increase in reported incidents of FGM in the developing world after decades of targeting it and seeing decreases. This is what happens when we remove development assistance and access to maternal health care. The Senator also spoke about the partners, who are so important. I refer to our civic society partners, both the NGOs that are based here in Ireland - large, medium and small - as well as those in-country. We place a particular emphasis on working with local partners. We do not intend to go to the global south and say how they must do things. Rather, Ireland takes the approach of asking what is needed and how we can help. That really goes to the spirit of our partners.”
“I am extremely grateful to all the Senators for their thoughtful and extremely supportive contributions on a range of matters. I will go back to my opening contribution where I said that our overseas development assistance and international development programme, first and foremost, was an investment. It is a solid investment that generates a real return for Ireland and it goes exactly to the heart of where we want our place to be in the world. We can be a voice of moral credibility when we talk about gender equality, nutrition and justice. I will address some of the points made by Senators individually. Senator O'Loughlin made a very stark reference to the report this week on the rapid increase in treatment needed in Ireland for women suffering from female genital mutilation, FGM.”
“Other countries are cutting their development programmes; we are increasing ours. Development should not just be seen as a cost or an outlay. It is an investment. It is very much an investment in targeting the root causes of the very issues that come before us in our constituency clinics every week, everything from energy insecurity and food or grocery prices to irregular migration and genuine security threats. They all emerge from an unstable global south. It is now more important than ever that we take that message. When other countries are cutting and we do not see the Make Poverty History marches or the level of public buy-in we may have seen 20 years ago, now is exactly the time when countries like Ireland need to stand up and ensure our values are heard on the global stage.”
“Working through civil-society organisations is also one of Ireland's principal delivery mechanisms for official development aid, ODA, with over €269 million in funding allocated to partners in 2024. We have also made sure to bring this message to the global stage. Through this year, since my appointment, I attended the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain. I also had the honour of being one of the first Irish Ministers to attend the G20 under the South African presidency this year. We have also been present at the United Nations General Assembly in September and next week, I travel to Brazil for the climate-related Conference of the Parties, COP30. In conclusion, before other Senators come in - and I will respond to all their points individually - I want to make a point really clear.”
“We continue to play a leading role internationally in nutrition and have been consistent and successful in bringing others to the table to support initiatives. The Nutrition for Growth summit in Paris earlier this year saw bilateral donors, UN agencies, the EU and others come together to make combined pledges of $28 billion. At this event, we delivered a very ambitious pledge to spend €250 million annually for four years to address hunger and malnutrition, a pledge we will deliver on. Ireland is providing €50 million over three years for child-wasting through our partners the WHO, UNICEF and Concern, to save the lives and improve the health of severely malnourished children in ten countries in Africa. This initiative improves healthcare, supports social protection and addresses the root causes of child malnutrition.”
“We are witnessing a situation where the number of people globally who require humanitarian assistance is estimated at 305 million but shrinking finance means that only a third of people in need this year will be targeted. All of this is taking place against the background of the existential threat of climate change. Ireland remains on track to reach the target of providing at least €225 million in climate finance per year to developing countries by 2025. Adaptation is the main focus of Ireland’s climate finance and support, particularly in least-developed countries and small island developing states. Ireland has been a long-standing champion of global efforts to reduce hunger and malnutrition and given our own history of famine, that should be of no surprise to anyone in this House.”
“We have witnessed the unfolding of a humanitarian catastrophe of staggering proportions in Gaza. At the same time, years of conflict in Sudan continue to cause one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent memories. I note the various contributions in recent days of Senators seeking a debate on Sudan and I must underline that Ireland's commitment of over €14 million there this year will be at least matched again next year as the situation unfolds to become even worse, to be quite frank. The situation on the ground in Ukraine continues to be extremely challenging, particularly as the country faces another winter and increased attacks on energy.”
“I see it as essential that global gains made in gender equality are protected against the growing backlash and undermining of the rights of women and girls. Ireland consistently ranks among the top 20 donors globally in terms of total humanitarian support and is recognised as a principled donor providing assistance based on need to the most severe and underfunded crises. lreland’s funding for humanitarian response has increased steadily in recent years, reaching approximately €330 million in 2024 across Government, including EU and multilateral contributions. The level of our humanitarian assistance is expected to reach at least this amount in 2025. The most visible impact of increased conflict can be seen in displaced populations and the unprecedented level of need for humanitarian assistance.”