Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to contribute at today's committee meeting. I welcome both ambassadors presenting before us, H.E. Ms Larysa Gerasko, from Ukraine, and H.E. Ms Larisa Miculet, from Moldova. I also acknowledge the presence of our Polish, Lithuanian and Georgian colleagues, among others, in the Gallery.

They are all very welcome. They are much more familiar with how the Soviet Union and its successor Russian entity tends to want to behave. I was chairing another meeting earlier so I was not here for all of the opening statements. I am here in solidarity with the witnesses and what they are all doing for Ukraine. I remember going out on the Thursday morning of the invasion and meeting the Ukrainian ambassador and the Polish ambassador at the time. It does not feel like a year ago. There has been wanton destruction of lives and property. Throughout Europe we are all feeling the effects of the energy crisis. We are dealing with it every day throughout our island. This is not the fault of anybody in the room. It is Russia's fault for invading another country and deciding to occupy it and take it over, thinking that everyone would roll over and accept it. We need to recognise that we missed out when Crimea was taken in 2014 and Georgia was attacked and occupied in 2008. The world generally said it would accept it. Thankfully in one way, we are not willing to say it is okay to invade other countries. Where will it stop? There is no evidence that it is going to stop. We all have to stand up in support of Ukraine and we are doing so. I ask the Ukrainian ambassador what else we in Ireland can do other than what we are already doing. What else would she like us to do?

I acknowledge what Moldova is doing as a country of its size and population. It may be poor in financial resources but it is very rich in people resources and many other talents. It has taken 700,000 people through its relatively small country and relatively small population. More people are being housed there than here and our population is two and a half times that of Moldova and we have a much bigger territory. Moldova does not have the resources financially that it would like to have to be able to do what it is doing. It is an enormous task. All of us throughout the world, particularly in Europe, owe Moldova a huge debt.

I ask the ambassadors - if Georgia were represented, I would also ask its representative this question - what else we can do to help in the process and their progress into the EU. Membership of the EU has been amazingly positive for Ireland in so many ways. If we look back 50 years, we started as very much the poorest of the nine countries that were then members. We certainly have our problems and challenges but we are an awful lot better for our membership. It is not a case from our perspective of pulling up the drawbridge after us. We welcome the enlarging of Europe. It was in Dublin back in 2004 that the agreement to bring in ten and then 12 countries, including Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Romania, was signed. We want to be as helpful as we can and bring countries inside the EU and let them have the same benefits as we got. Ireland benefited from the enlargement of Europe in terms of all of the people who are here. I acknowledge the many Europeans, particularly of eastern European background, who have settled in Ireland. Tens of thousands of Poles and Romanians and thousands of Moldovans are here and they are all very welcome. They are contributing greatly to our society.

I am the convener of the Ireland-Moldova interparliamentary friendship group. I thank the Chair for allowing me to contribute to the meeting. I am also the convener of the Ireland-Romania interparliamentary friendship group. Little did I know when I was asked to be convener of either of these groups how relevant Romania and Moldova would be. None of us would have known as much about Moldova or Ukraine a year ago as we do now. It is for all the wrong reasons but it is a privilege to know more than we did.

We stand 100% in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and the fight they must fight, which is totally unnecessary and needless. I credit Senator Wilson for reminding us of the Russian ambassador coming before the committee. I rarely attend meetings of committees of which I am not a member because we are all busy enough and the committee has enough to do without other members joining it. Senator Wilson reminded us that the ambassador went on national television and said there was nothing to see and that Russia would be retreating to its bases. Within hours and days, in it went. There has been wanton destruction by the Russian state.

I and others in the room are among the 52 Oireachtas Members who are banned from visiting Russia, not that I would want to go. What it has done would be outrageous anywhere but it is particularly so in its nearest neighbour. In the 21st century, we would have all hoped that this type of behaviour was long over, even after having seen what happened in Crimea and Georgia. It went in and destroyed lives and families. There has been wanton destruction. We in this country know how difficult it is to get a school or hospital built. Hundreds and thousands of school buildings and government buildings, and public property along with private property, have been destroyed. It really is unimaginable, only that we see it. I know we will be seeing more in the photography exhibition upstairs during the week.

I am in solidarity with the witnesses. What else can we do to aid in their war efforts and peace efforts in trying to resolve the situation? Longer term, what can we do in the process of bringing their countries into the EU? The sooner that happens, the better. I acknowledge that the speaker of the Moldovan Parliament and a number of other parliamentarians will visit next week and we look forward to seeing them. They will be very welcome. In the longer term I hope the committee will be able to speak to Georgia about where it is going in terms of its EU membership and what we can do to help it. Any country in the shadow of the Russian state is very vulnerable and needs the protection and support of those of us in the western world and the free world.