Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 17 May 2022
Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth
Ukrainian Crisis: Discussion
Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
Before the Minister responds to the Deputy, I need to say that I understand from where people are coming. The concerns they are raising are valid. However, to be fair, we invited the Minister and his officials with regard to the response to the Ukrainian crisis. When witnesses are invited before the committee, they are given an agenda item. We sometimes stray a little but, to be fair, this discussion is not about the wider debate. A lot of that will fall to this committee and we can certainly schedule meetings on those topics. However, to be fair to the Minister, he is here to discuss the response to the Ukrainian crisis. I am not taking away from anything anybody has said. I do not necessarily disagree with what has been said. However, we must be fair. The Minister and his officials have given of their time to be here this afternoon to discuss the situation.