Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This challenge will not wait. First, I congratulate the Tánaiste on all the hard work on the protocol agreement. Last week we were all shaken, especially by the shooting that happened in Omagh. There was much trepidation that we might be going backwards. The community there got together and held a great demonstration over the weekend in support of not going back. It was great to see that the negotiations have been successful. We seem to see some light now. The Tánaiste put a great deal of work and his own personal time into it and built up relationships. It is great to see that.

This committee has for the past number of years been working on the issue of women and girls. We have had Dóchas and many charities into us, probably once a month, going through the plight of women and girls in war-torn areas, conflict areas or where there is drought. The wars in Ukraine, Tigray, Syria, the new regime in Afghanistan, leave women and girls in a situation where they are not allowed to go to school or university. They are excluded from education. Ultimately, it is clear that on the basis of their gender, women are suffering sexually, physically and by barriers around attending school. We are hearing much about child marriages especially, in the Horn of Africa. It seems to be that girls are taken out of school first and are made to marry older men as a mechanism to support their families. This does not happen in isolation. It happens, we get presentations about it on a monthly basis. The Tánaiste touched on it in his opening statement. Is there anything more we can do? Our role on the UN Security Council was probably envisaged to be a discussion area but the war in Ukraine took over. I would like to see that championed more. It is so broad that it is hard. The Tánaiste mentioned the importance of education. It is very important. It would be interesting to have a bigger conversation on how we can support women and girls in conflict, war-torn and drought-stricken areas of the world because they are the most vulnerable.

I also wish to mention the illegal invasion in Ukraine. Just more than a year ago the Russian ambassador sat, I think, in the seat in which the Tánaiste sits now. It was a serious meeting but it was semi-cordial. There was a good relationship between us and the ambassador at the time. It was not heated. We were not to know what was coming down the line. This was before the invasion. We were asking him questions about Russian tanks being lined up along the border, to which he responded that we were watching too many films. It was strange, when we look back on it now. The Cathaoirleach asked whether there has been a proper wake-up call for us about our security, if we have really thought about it properly. The ambassador came in and we discussed the fishermen off the west coast, how they had a bit of a hooley and sorted it all out but we really have not had a proper discussion about our national security in Ireland. We all know that people listen to our phones because we will have a chat now and I will mention a few keywords, after which I will be followed around on the Internet by advertisements selling me goods. We just do not know enough about cybersecurity. I agree with other colleagues and with the Cathaoirleach that we have to have a better discussion on our defence. Maybe it is something the committee could do. I do not believe that the general population has thought about it. My peers have not. I do not know how we would get that conversation started.

We had a great briefing from Ms Hyland. I thank her for what was amazing information. What struck me was the loss of life on both sides, the loss of young men. That does not seem to be dissipating in any way. I do not have access to Russian ministers but Ukrainian ministers on Twitter say "we are getting tanks from the West, it is a pity it did not happen sooner.". There seem to be far more artillery and tanks going in to help Ukraine to fight this illegal invasion but the loss of life on both sides is terrifying. Is that going to double this year? How much more loss of life will there be? Ms Hyland also mentioned a peace tract before the war started, trying to engage with Putin. I do not know whether he can be engaged with but people watching this at home may ask when it will end. The witnesses gave us a picture of their lives and relations at a certain level. They answered the questions I was going to ask, in the response to the Senator and the Deputy. People were really interested in that. There was great information in it. It affects our lives here in Ireland also. Ultimately, people are asking, in a flippant but also serious way, when this will end. We do not know when it will end but the more information we have, the better. This is a hopeful question. Does Ms Hyland personally think there might be any peace tracts?