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

My party and I completely reject this. The United Nations is not working as it should but we must not abandon it as an essential part of the international system. Ireland has, and always will have, a limited defence capability. Focusing this on humanitarian actions is not only the right thing to do, it has full democratic legitimacy. There is no pressing need for a changed defence capability for the EU and our policy at this week's summit should reflect the will of the people and not the preferences of the Fine Gael Party.

The situation in Ukraine is both deeply troubling and inspiring. The actions of the Yanukovych government have been an outrage. One does have to look on Yulia Tymoshenko as a hero to understand that her continued imprisonment is a disgrace. The repeated beating of peaceful protestors, censorship of the media and undermining of parliament are not the actions of a democratic government.

The actions of the Russian Government have not been those of a government that believes in respect and co-operation between nations. The fact that it states its belief in an exclusive zone of interest covering other countries is the rhetoric of an ideology that should have long since been buried. In the face of this, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets to march and to sing or shout their belief in the future for democracy and progress in their country. They have carried the blue flag of the European Union alongside their own flags. In the context of our ongoing crisis, this should remind us that the EU remains an inspiration and the best hope for all who want a Europe of peace, democracy and development. I warmly welcome the actions of Catherine Ashton in going to Kiev and refusing to back down at the Union's core demands. If we are to give up our the basic requirement that every member and every associate member must abide by democratic norms, the EU will lose its entire reason for existing. We cannot and must not give in to the demands of Ukraine and Russia. We must continue to assert European values and stand with the Ukrainian people. I hope the Taoiseach will make a strong public statement about Ireland's stance on this issue.

The British Prime Minister has launched the latest element of his campaign to build domestic popularity by scapegoating the European Union. He appears to be proposing that Britain should adopt a pick and choose approach to European law. His coalition partner, the Liberal Democrats, has spoken out against this. We should do likewise. The European Union must be a rule-based community, where members respect the law until they succeed in getting it changed.

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