Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. O'Donnell. I apologise for missing the earlier part of his presentation. I would like to tease out one or two of the priorities he listed. He said the international community has to ensure the costs to the Russian Federation are such that President Putin has no alternative but to realise he miscalculated his Crimean gambit. Is this a reference to increased sanctions? Will Mr. O'Donnell flesh this out? He said: "Diplomacy must remain not only open but creative." What creative solutions has he in mind? His observation that Ireland has no embassy in Ukraine is interesting. Has he ever raised this issue with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade during his long career? If so, what response did he receive?