Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On Deputy Berry’s points on the support we are giving through the training of Ukrainian soldiers in respect of key areas like de-mining, combat medical aid and so on, which, again, people have endeavoured to portray in a wrong way, I think it is the very least we can do for a nation that has come under the most appalling attacks, the destruction of civilian populations, the targeting of civilians and the terrorising of women and children.

I pay tribute to the UCD team. That whole area of helping people to deal with first-aid and first responders is crucial. Civilians are now being taught and trained to deal with these situations because many people have died from loss of blood and the inability to get a faster first response. I think it is critical. I do not understand why people criticise us for doing this, but they do. We live in a democracy and people have different views.

On de-mining, we had a very sobering presentation when we met with the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, yesterday, where we renewed a memorandum of understanding. Of course, it works on a completely neutral basis in terms of prisoner exchanges in war situations. The point was made to me that it can take 20 to 30 years to de-mine a war-torn country. As to the idea that we would not go in to help to de-mine or offer whatever expertise we have, we should make a contribution to that. That also applies to unexploded ordnance, IEDs or cluster munitions that can lie around and can amputate limbs of civilians and children long after an attack has stopped. We have been to the fore as a country in regard to the cluster munitions convention that we managed to convene over ten years ago in Croke Park, where we got a fantastic response, and over 130 countries have now signed up to that. Most recently, with the conference on explosions in populated areas, again, we have got huge traction.

To me, it is a follow-through on our international position that we were talking about earlier in terms of the areas where we have a contribution to make. We are not a military power of any consequence, and we know that, but I think we have something to offer in particular niche areas and to do it well. That struck me yesterday. The ICRC took us through three areas where there was a war some 30 years ago, and they are still de-mining. The point is that there are a huge issues on the ground in Ukraine in respect of unexploded mines and so on.

On funding, it is an exceptional funding measure through the European mechanism, the European Peace Facility.

Of the €77 million committed so far by Ireland, approximately €9.9 million was contributed to Ukraine from the EPF by the end of 2022. In 2023, approximately €6.8 million will be required in respect of payments to the European Peace Facility. We manage this over a period of time, but again, we can make the call. I do not see any impact on the core defence budgets.

The subject of rescue teams was raised at a previous meeting. I raised it in my capacity as chair of the emergency planning team, and so on. It is not as simple as getting a bunch of people together, getting some equipment and going out and doing the rescue. We need to build up capacity domestically. Again, it comes back to our geographic positioning. It would take a lot of logistical work to get the equipment and so on. It is not just the team; it is the equipment, which we do not have at the moment. We have been praised internationally because of the pre-positioning of stocks in Dubai and Brindisi that enabled us to do the largest ever airlift to a crisis situation, which we did more than two weeks ago. We also contribute to the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund, CERF, so that it has the money ready to go. We contribute significantly to that, and are one of the bigger donors to that on an ongoing annual basis through the Irish Aid programme. Those are the strengths of our contribution.

I raised this issue, and I expect some follow-through. I have asked for some follow-through, not least in terms of our own indigenous capacity. The Rapid Response Corps comprises different disciplines that come together. In fact, I was in South Ossetia at the time of the invasion; I went down there. I recall two Irish rapid responders volunteered to go down to mind a border. If there was anything about the futility of that invasion, it was a freezing, most rural hinterland of South Ossetia that one could imagine. I could see the quizzical look on the Russian soldiers as to what they were doing there. They were as nonplussed as anybody as to what this was all about, in terms of the particular location. I do not mean the area any disrespect, but it is very rural, and you wonder about the futility of these kinds of operations and wars. It is an issue worth pursuing, but there is a lot more in it. I am struck that on the Syrian side of that earthquake disaster, they did not get the heavy equipment or rescue teams in as quickly as the Türkiye side did. That is a concern, and there are ongoing issues there around humanitarian inputs. Ireland has created a carve-out in terms of sanctions through its work on the UN Security Council, and also our work on the humanitarian corridor. That is an issue of going concern.

I concur with Senator Ó Donnghaile about the shocking gun attack on Detective Chief Inspector Caldwell, and the Windsor agreement, in terms of its impact. Again, the fundamental benefit for Northern Ireland is access to the Single Market, as well as the UK market simultaneously. That will create opportunities for investment inwards, and exports by SMEs and indigenous Northern Ireland companies.

Senator Ó Donnghaile's comments distorted my broader comments earlier before he arrived, in respect of Palestine. I have had a consistent view on Palestine for a long time. It is not favoured by the Israeli Government or successive Israeli administrations, but I do not believe I have to get into a competition as to who is stronger on Palestine. I do not feel I have to.