Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We are here not to commemorate but to reflect, as my colleague rightly said, on our 50-year membership of the European Union. It has been 73 years since the Schuman Declaration, and it might be worth looking at what that declaration said. It stated, "The solidarity in production ... [of steel and coal between France and Germany] will make it plain that any war between France and Germany becomes not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible." Any rational person would have to support that. It goes on, however, to state, "With increased resources Europe [this was 73 years ago] will be able to pursue the achievement of one of its essential tasks, namely, the development of the African continent." I would say the "exploitation" rather than the "development". At that stage, most of the countries on that continent were still colonised and the EU wanted to develop it for the Union’s own benefit. I mention this because that narrative of us and them has continued unabated and I find it very worrying.

Migrants have been left to drown in the Mediterranean Sea. Limited time prevents me going through the figures, which I have set out previously for the record. The number of people who have drowned in the Mediterranean is extremely frightening. I do not think, in all humanity, that I could swim across the Mediterranean. It is unthinkable what we have allowed to happen. We have done deals with Türkiye and Libya and exported our responsibility. I have quoted the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy ad nauseamin this House because what he has said is absolutely unbelievable, continuing on with the narrative of us and them. He stated:

Europe is a garden ... Most of the rest of the world is a jungle, and the jungle could invade the garden.

Parallel with all that there is a constant increase in the spending on arms. I have all the figures to hand, although I do not have time to read them out in my allocated time. I fully support what has been said during the debate by various colleagues on the left regarding what has become a military-industrial complex. The figures are very frightening. My colleague Deputy Pringle referred to what the Taoiseach said earlier, when he told us Europe is at war. I had not realised Europe was at war. I thought Russia had illegally invaded Ukraine - absolutely wrong and unacceptable - but Europe is not at war. It is a frightening statement. I find the Taoiseach's contribution, running to 12 pages, frightening. On the seventh or eighth page, he started to condemn anybody who might have an alternative view and wants a consensus mentality. I am petrified of a consensus mentality. I am petrified that that is what is prevailing, and we have learned nothing if that is what we now want. Anybody described as being on the left is condemned as raving mad for not being able to see the picture. I wish I had more time to explore the Taoiseach’s contribution because I certainly find the 12 pages of it, and his comment earlier, utterly worrying and frightening. It is time for our voices to be heard, as the neutral country we are, in a positive way to promote peace on the planet, not us and them, not our rules versus their rules, but realising we need transformative change. Not one page of the Taoiseach’s contribution was dedicated to the transformational change we need as a result of climate change and having learned from the world wars.

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