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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“They have brought their partners and spouses and have been here to care for elderly parents. Some have been able to raise families here. They brought back the skills they picked up abroad. That should be the case for everyone who wants to come home. This is the crux of the matter. That is the situation I want to have at the end of these few years. Senator Craughwell painted a vivid depressing picture of the type of Ireland many people left in the past. Senator Harmon touched on the Famine, which is a deeper generational institutional experience we perhaps need to discuss. I spent the weekend with my 84-year-old uncle in England. He left Ireland straight after school never intending to come back. He has not come back. He married a fellow immigrant to England. They have lived their lives there, with no chance of ever coming home.”
“I think Senator Harmon and I are roughly the same age. She may be a few years younger than me. She is definitely a heck of a lot more youthful and energetic. It was striking when she spoke about our generation at the time of the crash who left in desperation. They went to London, or more often to Canada and Australia because those countries were not touched by the financial crash in the same way as many other jurisdictions were. Let us be frank. This is the elephant in the room. Getting into America is much harder, not only today but also for the past 20 years, than it was perhaps for the generations who went before. We are in a clear position that many of that generation have come home. I am of the age and have been delighted that many of my friends have been able to come home.”
“I was all set to be the director of elections for the referendum on the Unified Patent Court, which will excite hearts and minds across the jurisdiction, I have no doubt, but, unfortunately, it fell victim to the legislative backlog. We are reflecting on how to run the referendum relating to the matter in question. One thing that is crucial with referendums - Senator Black will be sick of hearing me say this in many different contexts - is that we do not hold them for the sake of holding them. If you believe in the issue, you need to hold a referendum on it and be in a position to win. That is the political decision that needs to be taken by all of us, but especially the Government of the day. That is the decision we need to make. I will continue to be open to working with the Senators and to discuss the matter more widely.”
“Some countries offer general votes abroad for specific seats for the members for the diasporas, be it in respect of the French or Italian senates or American citizens who can vote abroad because they still pay taxes in that country. One of the more striking communities in Ireland we see voting in large numbers are Moldovan nationals. There are more than 30,000 Moldovans resident here. That is out of a population of more than 1 million. The commitment was made and the delays are quite obvious. There have been delays with quite a number of referendums that were promised. Ultimately, the pandemic knocked the timelines for everything backwards. We were able to hold two referendums in the lifetime of the previous Government, both of which were defeated.”
“Senator Scahill also raised the important topic of our new diaspora strategy. For the information of the House, the current strategy will expire at the end of this calendar year. We will launch a new one in April. This is the consultation we have started already. I hope we will be able to bring all Oireachtas Members into that discussion, and the online portal will be available for it. Votes abroad, generally and more specifically the references to the planned and promised referendum on foot of the constitutional convention referred to by Senators Andrews, Murphy, Harmon, Black and Cosgrove, are important. This is a debate that will happen in due course. It is already happening. We have to separate what is planned and what is possible.”
“The people the Senator described are not too different from those Senator Craughwell and, equally, Senator Flaherty spoke about. The tragic situations in which the Irish abroad come together in the toughest times to support the family, often those who are alone in experiencing tragedy many miles from home, were mentioned. I will not volunteer to go to Ruislip with Senator Scahill. He certainly does not want to see me on a football pitch. Senator Conway raised the issue of the foreign births register. For context, its turnaround time has gone from approximately five years during the Covid-19 pandemic to eight or nine months. That is impactful. The situation he referred to relates to accessing documents from our colleagues in the British Government. I am more than happy to take that up with their ambassador or my counterpart.”
“For many reasons, those people could not remain here and had to find a new life in Great Britain. They lived the hardest of lives, physically and emotionally. Many are now at a stage where they are getting older and have serious health complaints, largely brought about by their previous experiences. More than 40% of our survivors live in England alone. They are not the success stories. They do not live in wealth or prosperity, but they are the group we specifically support through the emigrant support programme. It is important that we continue to talk about them. Senator Cosgrove referred to Safe Home Ireland, which is funded by the emigrant support programme. It is a key partner. It will continue to receive funding. I am absolutely happy to continue to work with it.”
“This is a group that our emigrant support programmes support carefully and specifically, and the matter should be at the front of any conversation held by Irish delegations travelling to the United States next week. More broadly, within the emigrant support programme, a couple of areas were raised that are important to reference. Senator Joe O'Reilly spoke about the plight of survivors of institutional abuse, many of whom live in Great Britain. Senator Craughwell spoke about emigrants from Ireland who lived hard lives and referred to the not unkind or unrealistic caricature of the navvy who went to work building roads and on building sites. I have had an insight into the survivors of institutional abuse, such as those who found themselves in the laundries.”
“Its entire pack was from Argentina. I still have the scars to show. More seriously, Senator Kennelly and others, including Senator Daly - this is an area he and I worked on with Senator Black in a previous Seanad - raised the possibility of providing a legal pathway for the undocumented in the US and being a constant voice on their behalf in order that they do not feel voiceless. I have been in Irish centres and public houses in places such as Yonkers and south Chicago and spoken to people who are in despair because they missed family funerals and were never able to say goodbye. They walk out their front doors every day fearful about who might come up behind them.”
“I would say who we can count among them, but I do not want to get too political by referencing certain individuals. As a good example, however, the Minister, Deputy Chambers, will travel next week to Argentina and there will be a discussion that is worth looking at. We have benefited greatly - I will touch on migration more generally in a second - from the 55,000 Brazilians who have come to Ireland. Many of them have come through the relationship Brazil has with Portugal, which is clear, obvious and warm. The Senator might be on to something. During my time as Minister of State with responsibility for employment and labour market activation, I sought to bring new talent here. I had the misfortune of playing a rugby match once against the UCD veterinary hospital and I wondered why I was ended up so black and blue.”
“One of the last things I was lucky enough to be privy to in my role as Minister of State with responsibility for insurance at the Department of Finance was the entry into the Irish market of Fastnet Underwriting, an insurance company that specialises in quoting for returning Irish emigrants and new arrivals from other jurisdictions who perhaps do not have the record or proverbial no claims bonus. It quotes at market rates and it is a great entry. Senator Conor Murphy referred to the perception of a one-stop shop. That exists. It is already on the Citizens Information website and it is important. Senator P.J. Murphy referred to the interesting case of the largest non-English speaking Irish diaspora in the world, which is in Argentina.”
“I thank the Cathaoirleach very much and wish him the very best for his upcoming trip to the United States. It is really important that we see him in the United States for St. Patrick's Day using his own personal network and the political network on behalf of our nation. In that, I am truly grateful. Quite a number of points have been raised and I will try to address them as well as possible. Some replies might not be as substantive as some Senators would like in the ten minutes available to me, but I am more than happy to pick up thereafter. I will then make a couple of brief concluding comments. Senator Joe O'Reilly referred to access to insurance.”
“I thank the Cathaoirleach. From the outset, I did not say this in my opening because the Cathaoirleach was not present, I wish to make a personal commendation and pay credit to the Cathaoirleach as a person, as a Senator, as a Cathaoirleach and, indeed, previously as a Leas-Chathaoirleach for his work in this area, albeit not just in terms of developing initial strategies and his spokesmanship. Many of us perhaps do not see this but I have had the pleasure of travelling abroad with him and engaging with him on the issue of the Irish in America in particular. The work he does, often unseen and for little reward and with no obvious political gain, is really important work. It is an example to not just me in my new role as Minister of State with responsibility for this area, as every Member of the Oireachtas has a part to play in this.”
“I relish the opportunity to develop a dynamic and mutually beneficial relationship with the global Irish. I know Senators share the same wish. I look forward to hearing their contributions. I want to get the message out that we want to engage with those in this House, those abroad and Senators' networks to make sure we can do the best for the Irish abroad in terms of their new lives abroad and, crucially, to make sure that every option is taken from a policy point of view to facilitate their return, should they choose to do so.”
“We all know the convenience and efficiency the passport online service has had for our citizens at home and abroad. This award-winning service is now available to 99.9% of applicants. On Monday, I visited the Passport Office in Balbriggan, where I met with some of the 500 workers who are making sure this service continues to run efficiently and demand for foreign birth registration of citizenship by descent, which has increased, is also matched. Prior to the Brexit referendum, foreign birth registration applications averaged between 5,000 and 6,000 per year. However, over 40,000 applications were received in 2024, with over 50% of those coming from Great Britain. As we all know, there has also been increasing demand from the United States in recent weeks.”
“This is something I am very keen on progressing during my time in my new role. I assure Senators of this commitment. We will look at other EU member states. Germany, for example, has had success with up to seven US states. Likewise, work continues in the Department of Social Protection to facilitate access to PPS numbers for returning emigrants. Updates on these and other challenges will be standing items on the agenda at future meetings of the committee. Under the Global Ireland strategy, our diplomatic footprint has expanded greatly. We have over 100 embassies and consulates, as well as 94 honorary consuls. As we face greater risks from conflict and environmental challenges, the missions remain an important safety net for our citizens resident overseas and a focal point for our diaspora engagement.”
“I encourage anyone considering returning to visit, and, more important, Senators who may be in contact with those among our diaspora who are highlighting issues or obstacles to returning home, to have a look there first and see what can be solved. We have heard the calls to make it easier to exchange driving licences and get a PPS number while outside the country. I chaired a meeting of the interdepartmental committee on the Irish abroad just last week. The civil society members briefed the committee on the challenges faced by returning emigrants, particularly from the United States, due to difficulty in accessing Irish driving licences. It was positive to hear from the Department of Transport that Australian and a majority of Canadian licences can now be exchanged. The committee is now considering how best to engage with key US states.”
“As I travel in my role, I look forward to meeting more of these young leaders because they have so much to offer their adopted homes and, very importantly, they are willing and committed to working with us. For our part, we have ensured the emigrant support programme continues to invest in projects that foster a sense of community, nurture our identity and culture overseas and deepen our trade, business and education links. The programme for Government makes a specific commitment to facilitate emigrants looking to return home. The Department of Foreign Affairs-funded Returning to Ireland portal on the Citizens Information Board website has a wealth of practical and administrative information.”
“They are leaders in their communities and advocates for human rights, inclusion, peace and reconciliation. It would be remiss of me not to mention the chief of staff of the British Prime Minister who is from Macroom or the senator from Philadelphia whose dad left Glencolumbkille not so long ago. We are blessed that many have also made remarkable contributions to Ireland. From the peace process to foreign direct investment, our diaspora has made a real difference. Its members have unique insights and perspectives, skills, access and influence. They have a voice to amplify what modern Ireland stands for. In London, I met a group of younger emigrants working in key sectors such as finance and technology.”
“We all recognise the importance of the work the GAA does in support of our Irish emigrants. The Department's partnership with the GAA will remain key to our future engagement with the diaspora. In the US, we work with communities and a coalition of Irish immigration centres to support those impacted by changes in immigration policy. Earlier this year, we provided emergency grant assistance to support Irish families affected by the wildfires in California. I will continue to prioritise projects, such as those I mentioned, which place the welfare and care of our citizens abroad at their heart. As well as caring for those in need, our engagement with the diaspora also forges valuable partnerships. Irish emigrants make contributions wherever they go, in politics, business and the arts.”
“Two weeks ago in England, I saw at first hand the vital work the emigrant support programme is funding. In Coventry, I visited a vibrant elders lunch club. In London and Birmingham, I heard the challenges facing young members of the Travelling community. I met groups providing dementia care and respite services, working with survivors of institutional abuse and supporting end-of-life care programmes. All of these programmes make a real difference every day and I pay tribute to all those who deliver them. I also visited Páirc na hÉireann, the marvellous GAA facility in Solihull, home of the Warwickshire County Board. Indeed, I shared a flight with the Longford senior footballers coming home from London who nicked a one-point victory over London at the weekend.”
“While we work on delivering a new strategy, we also remain focused on strengthening the ties with our diaspora. Underpinning this work is the emigrant support programme. Since it began in 2004, the programme has granted more than €250 million to 900 organisations in 51 countries. This year, the Department of Foreign Affairs will allocate €16.5 million under the emigrant support programme. Caring for the most vulnerable Irish emigrants remains at the heart of our programme. The majority of the funding, some 60%, is granted to the front-line welfare service providers working without elderly Irish emigrants and others who are marginalised. We support counselling and outreach services and projects that address social isolation and actively improve the well-being of Irish people.”
“Over the course of this year, I will host engagements with a number of diaspora communities across the world so we can better understand these changes and deliver a strategy that meets the evolving needs of long-standing emigrants and newer departees. I already met representatives of the Irish community in London, Birmingham and Coventry recently, and I will meet members of our community in Nairobi next Tuesday during my St. Patrick's Day visit. I also look forward to meeting people in the coming weeks and months in Paris, Brussels and some more far-flung destinations going forward. I also look forward to engaging with all Members of the Oireachtas and other stakeholders on this island. In order that we hear from as many voices as possible, I will launch an online consultation before the summer.”
“Patrick's Day celebrations are kicking off around the world. In the days and weeks ahead, Irish people and friends of Ireland will gather to celebrate that very unique thing that is Irishness. At the heart the celebrations are our diaspora. Reflecting a modern and diverse Ireland, I will ensure that we continue to take a broad and inclusive definition of our diaspora. This will include Irish-born citizens and those whose parents and grandparents were born on this island, the millions of Irish heritage or descent and our affinity diaspora, such as those who once lived, studied or worked here and those who hold a deep appreciation for our people and culture. The programme for Government commits to delivering a new diaspora strategy. The world, Ireland and migration in general have changed since our last strategy was launched in 2020.”
“Indeed, my emigrant adventure failed after two years, such a homebird am I. We all have friends and family members who have moved to places perhaps not as close as Brussels, London, Birmingham, Glasgow or Edinburgh or in times when communication was not that obvious. We know of the void that exists when someone we are used to having around the table or in the living room is now only a face on FaceTime. While my experience as someone who left these shores for a relatively brief time brought wonderful opportunities in the context of this debate, I also understand the challenges of starting a life in a new country. I will bring these experiences to my new role. Equally, I will seek to lean on this House and the other House to glean Members' experiences, lived, familial and otherwise. As we speak today, a myriad of St.”
“I am deeply honoured to have been appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for international development and the diaspora. Like many of those present, I have experienced the impact of family and friends moving abroad. I moved abroad in my 20s. I gained invaluable experience while living in Belgium where I learned a huge amount. At the time, my late mother knew only of people leaving Ireland to rarely ever return. Her memory was of my uncle, who, thank God, is still with us, getting the boat to England and that was that. They may have seen each other once a year. Telephone calls and letters were far more expensive at the time. People did not really come back. Little did my mother know that I would be home practically every month, if not every fortnight.”
“Many Senators will know of Billy's outstanding work as an advocate on behalf of the Irish in the US but also on behalf of the Irish Americans in this House. He certainly touched many hearts and minds in his contributions. A big, strong man and a stoic Galway man, I know Billy is sorely missed by his family in Galway and Chicago. He is really missed by the Irish American community in particular. I had the pleasure of travelling to Chicago and being hosted by Billy twice and meeting so many different people. His was not necessarily the typical emigrant story. He went out much later in life when his children were grown. He went for a sense of opportunity and, boy, did he take every opportunity. His success in business was only matched by his success in advocacy. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis.”
“It is a great pleasure to be back in the Seanad. It is great to have at least one familiar face from my own time here, a man who was never so happy as when he saw me leave the labour panel, Senator Joe O'Reilly, who called for this debate. I an grateful to the Senator, the Leader and the Deputy Leader for providing time for it. This is a good time of year to take stock of our relationship with the diaspora. I will go into that in a little detail when we talk about it later in the debate. It would be remiss of me to start this debate without taking a brief moment to remember our dearly missed friend, the former Senator Billy Lawless, who I and Senator O'Reilly sat with in this Chamber for over four years.”
“Equally, however, how do we make sure the agenda of the EU is not changed because developments in the United States may give carte blanche to European Union member states Union that have already cut their budgets and to other Europe countries as well? I regret the fact Anneliese Dodds has had to step down. I was really looking forward to meeting her this week but we have a responsibility within the EU. I look forward to working with Senator Stephenson and, indeed, my party colleague, Senator Lynch, who is our international secretary, to make sure the EU stands up and is counted, and that we stick by the global south. Ireland has a unique role to play in this. I will be extremely loud over the coming weeks and months, domestically and internationally, standing up for that, and I know the Senator will join the chorus with me.”
“I really appreciate the Senator giving us this opportunity and I fundamentally agree with every point she made. I want to put the following on the record of this House. We, in Ireland, have a responsibility in the coming weeks and months to stand up for what is right in the world, and we do that well. We believe in the multilateral order, in the work of the United Nations and in maintaining our commitment. Yes, the US is responsible for 27% of global overseas development aid but the EU is responsible for over 40%. Therefore, we have a twin challenge here. How do we work to offset potential changes to the funding of UN bodies? How do we work to offset really vital country programmes?”
“Specifically on EU counterparts, this was raised at the EU Development, DEVE, Council and I will make sure it is on the agenda. I will work very closely with Barry Andrews, MEP, who is chair of the European Parliament's DEVE committee. Equally, when we have a DEVE Council meeting here in about 18 months' time, I will make sure that this is a key topic regarding the wider agenda. The Tánaiste spoke with Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, yesterday, and this was raised with him. Indeed, there are an abundance of areas where I will make sure this is brought to for in the very immediate future.”
“This will have a deep and far-reaching impact on our ability to achieve health and well-being for all. Low-income and fragile countries are also expected to be affected due to their reliance on ODA. The Government has collaborated with the US administration and USAID in recent years in several global and country programmes that support sustainable development and humanitarian response. Ireland remains firmly committed to our international development assistance programme and its overriding priorities. It would clearly not be viable for Ireland to make up the funding shortfall as a result of USAID and other countries’ budget cuts. However, we are absolutely committed to playing our part. The Government has utterly reaffirmed Ireland's commitment to an annual increase in our ODA budget, working towards the 0.7% of GNI.”
“If it were not for the support of Irish people, women in Tanzania would not be receiving the most basic of healthcare that we take for granted in this jurisdiction. That is why I insisted that area was a priority. I was at Science Blast yesterday in RDS Simmonscourt where Irish Aid had a stand. I am delighted that when it asked all the children to choose their favourite STG, and it was very interactive, gender came out on top, which was great. However, we have a lot more work to do. More pertinently, the impact of the US decisions is expected to be, as the Senator laid out, particularly pronounced in the areas of global health, gender equality, governance and human rights decisions, such as withdrawal from the WHO, and the possible defunding of PEPFAR, the US President's emergency plan for AIDS relief.”
“Before I go into specific detail, I wish to state that women and gender more generally is a huge priority for me within this role. I set that out from the get-go. I have consistency. We have underlined in the programme for Government - I have reiterated it and will be laying out a bit more in a speech to the National Women's Council tomorrow morning - our commitment to women and girls in Afghanistan. This is a specific programme. When I travel next week to Tanzania, which Senator Stephenson referenced, an entire day will be dedicated to women's health and women's and girls' education, as well as governance and access democracy in Tanzania alone, particularly the work in relation to the Fistula Foundation in a clinic there that has been run and funded by Irish Aid.”
“The Government has been closely following the situation, which is still evolving. A review of US foreign assistance programmes is under way to ensure they are efficient and consistent with the America First agenda or doctrine. The completion date for the review is 19 April. However, we are aware of this issue of a large number of termination notices late last week for USAID projects and programmes. The pause and subsequent termination notices have immediately affected partners, initiatives and projects in receipt of USAID funding. The work of organisations working directly or indirectly on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, or on environmental justice, is also affected. This includes women's rights organisations.”
“It is going to be really tough to get through this in four minutes; I wish we had 40 minutes. Perhaps we might have a further deeper debate in this Chamber. I know Senator Stephenson and I are going to work quite closely. Just to reassure her, I would not have missed this debate for anything. That is how important it is. The Acting Chair has been in this seat before and knows we may need to move things around, specifically to address a matter. I have a lot to say but not enough time. I am going to lay out some of the actualities as best I can and, more importantly, address the valid questions the Senator asked and points she made. For the benefit of the House, on 20 January, the US President issued an executive order which directed a 90-day pause in US foreign assistance.”
“Ireland recognises that our continued support for Ukraine is not only the right thing to do, but is in our fundamental national interest. It is vital not only for the people of Ukraine, but for safeguarding the security of Europe as a whole. How we respond as an international community will have far-reaching consequences for the future of our rules-based system. This is why Ireland stands with Ukraine, now, and in the future.”
“These measures are having an impact, making it harder for Russia to access battlefield goods and revenue to pay for its illegal war. We must continue to exert maximum pressure and limit Russia’s ability to wage its war of aggression. We will continue to work with our EU partners to ensure Ukraine continues to get the support it needs to defend against Russia’s attack on its sovereignty and territorial integrity, in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter. Now is the time for Europe to move forward, together, and constructively. We must say more, do more and commit more to ensure that Ukraine gets the support it so urgently needs to defend itself. Just as it did in direct response to the full-scale invasion in February 2022, the European Union must and will step up again.”
“Russia is also clearly looking for signs that European support for Ukraine is weakening. That is why now, more than ever, it is incumbent upon Europe to step up. Faced with such a critical threat to the security of our Continent the response of the European Union has been unprecedented in its unity, firmness and determination. Overall assistance to Ukraine pledged both at EU and member state level to date amounts to €134 billion, which includes financial, humanitarian, emergency, budgetary and military support. On Monday, the Foreign Affairs Council adopted a 16th package of sanctions against Russia. The targeted sanctions adopted in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine are the most expansive and hard-hitting in EU history.”
“This is a question of right over might, and of respect for international law and the universal principles which underpin the multilateral system. What happens today in Ukraine, can tomorrow happen anywhere in the world. We will continue to make the case to our global partners that the impacts of Russian aggression, and how we respond, go far beyond Ukraine, and beyond Europe. Our response to Russia’s aggression will act as a message to others who might seek to change international borders through the use of force. We must recall that while Ukrainians fight to defend their very existence, for Russia, it remains a war of choice. Their ongoing and relentless bombardment of civilians and civilian infrastructure makes clear that Russia has no intention of reaching a peaceful resolution to this conflict.”
“We must not become desensitised to the atrocities perpetrated by Russian forces and the immense suffering inflicted upon the Ukrainian population. lreland will continue to pursue accountability for Russian actions in Ukraine as part of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. I am conscious that Ukraine marks several important milestones this month. The Ukrainian response has impressed us all, with its determination, courage and resilience. At this critical moment, we in Europe and in Ireland must not falter in our resolve. If Russia is allowed to prevail, illegally seizing territory by force, and causing untold death and destruction with impunity, this will simply embolden President Putin, and give a green light to other actors to attempt the same.”
“Of course real concerns have been raised on the future of the schemes, which I am assured the Government will lay out in clarity very soon. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, reports of gross and systematic violations of human rights by Russia have been consistent, including violations of the rights to life, liberty and security of persons. Human rights abuses include the large-scale forced deportation and imprisonment of civilians, mistreatment of prisoners of war, and repression in the partially occupied territories of Ukraine. I take to heart the very clear points made by Deputy Timmins on the treatment and capturing of children. Ireland will continue to stand in solidarity with Ukraine and call out Russia’s flagrant violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.”
“Ireland has responded by providing more than €130 million in humanitarian and stabilisation support to Ukraine since February 2022. Our funding has provided essential humanitarian assistance with a focus on the most vulnerable, as well as support for early recovery efforts, rehabilitation and reconstruction. The Irish people have also responded with generosity, welcoming more than 110,000 Ukrainians who have fled this conflict. I pay tribute to former Minister, Deputy Roderic O'Gorman, who mentioned his own role on this with the previous Government. I also share the opinions of Deputies Gibney and Ó Muirí in stating quite clearly that the Ukrainian people are welcome here and will continue to be welcome here for as long as is necessary.”
“There must be a European voice also in any negotiations. These negotiations must aim to arrive at a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, based on respect for the principles of the UN Charter and international law, and with justice and accountability at its heart. Ireland is proud to have co-sponsored a resolution that was adopted by the UN General Assembly on Monday, which aims to further progress these efforts. Despite rhetoric from Moscow purportedly seeking peace, the facts simply do not bear this out. Escalations in hostilities, unpredictable attacks and mandatory evacuation orders continue to harm civilians across all regions of Ukraine. Last year the humanitarian crisis grew with intensified attacks across Ukraine, and with continued strikes on energy infrastructure leaving many to endure harsh winter conditions.”
“I take the points made by Deputy Cathal Crowe. I take the fact that I am sanctioned by the Russian Federation as a mark of credit. I am proud to see my name on that list, as is Deputy Crowe's. We are at a critical juncture in the trajectory of the war in Ukraine. This is a defining moment for Ukraine and for the security of the European Continent. As President Zelenskyy has made clear, no one wants peace more than Ukraine. Ukraine must be directly involved in any potential peace negotiations and must define the terms and conditions under which it will enter into a peace agreement. We must make it very clear from here that there cannot be discussions about Ukraine without Ukraine. The EU and its member states collectively have provided more support to Ukraine than any other partner. Russia’s war directly threatens European security.”
“In addition to the direct military threat Russia poses to Ukraine and neighbouring countries, we face a range of hybrid threats from which no country is immune. Russia has weaponised migration, food and energy in its efforts to undermine European stability and unity. Russian state actors and aligned criminal groups operating from within the Russian territory have engaged in malicious cyber activity targeting critical infrastructure and democratic institutions across Europe. Ireland has also been directly targeted by this activity. We see a similar pattern around disinformation where the Kremlin and other malign actors continue to spread distorted and false narratives, not only linked to the ongoing aggression in Ukraine, but more broadly with a view to undermining European democracy. We see this also on our own soil.”
“EU unity has been the hallmark of our shared response over the past three years of war on European soil and it must continue thus. A collective European response has provided essential support to Ukraine as it fights to defend its freedom and to uphold the common values that unite us all as Europeans. The EU remains as firmly committed to support Ukraine today as we mark this terrible anniversary. Together with our European partners, and here in this House, we recognise what is at stake. Russia’s war in Ukraine represents not just an existential threat and challenge for the people of Ukraine. It poses the greatest threat to the EU and European security since the Cold War. Along with our friends and partners in Europe, Ireland finds itself in an increasingly contested, dynamic and volatile international security environment.”
“I greatly appreciate the opportunity to close this very important debate today. I also welcome our Ukrainian friends who are here in the Gallery, especially their truly excellent ambassador. I thank them for their continued advocacy. There was a sheer breadth of contributions over this period, from all parties and none, from such a range of Deputies. It is a rare time we see such universality and agreement reflected. That should be commended. I thank all Deputies for continuing to show their support and the support of the Irish Parliament and the Irish people for Ukraine. lreland’s solidarity is firmly anchored in the unwavering position of support and solidarity shown by the European Union since day one of this latest illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression by Russia.”
“Work has commenced on doing that and on making sure the plan is implemented and enforced. Enforcement will be key to this. I fully take on board the comments the Deputy has made regarding court orders but I will not delve too far into them. He will understand why more than anyone else in this House would. I will raise this with the Tánaiste again tomorrow and I will make sure the Deputy is kept fully abreast of the matter.”
“I take on board the Deputy's very sincere concern that this needs to be considered and acted upon in advance of the summer months. I will take that back to the Tánaiste but, as already alluded to, he is well aware of the need for this to be acted on swiftly. The conservation management plan will provide the foundation for implementing the recommendations identified, including the progression of that management. Any such proposals will be brought before Government to decide on a future management structure. I reiterate that it is the intention of the Tánaiste to ensure that the Curragh Plains are protected into the future while we also ensure maximum benefit. It is simply unacceptable that nothing is done. Something very serious has to be done. The Tánaiste and the Government have accepted that.”