Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. O'Donnell's detailed and clear presentation. I also welcome his endorsement of the Dáil motion which I supported strongly last week. It is unfortunate that we are back in a certain era. We have returned to Cold War politics. In January and February, on behalf of the Fianna Fáil party, I took the opportunity in the Dáil, during special debates, to criticise the Ukrainian authorities for the fatal actions they perpetrated on their own citizens. Subsequently, at this committee and in the Dáil, I strongly condemned Russia's violation of the territorial integrity of its neighbouring country.

Mr. O'Donnell has proposed that former heads of State or Government should be involved. Has his suggestion been met with approval or support from the European Union, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or the United Nations? He referred to the non-functioning of the Security Council of the UN, an issue that we have discussed at this committee on numerous occasions. Is there any appetite throughout the world to have a meaningful reform of the United Nations? It has failed, in so many respects, to deal with the issues that it was established to counteract in the first place.