Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As my colleague, an Teachta Adams, has spoken at length about the refugee crisis, I will not reiterate his comments. However, I wish to stress the urgency of an agreed humane and united solution. The world was shocked and shamed into action after photographs of Aylan Kurdi's dead body were shown around the globe. We promised that no more children seeking refuge would die as he did, yet four people, three of them children, drowned after their boat sank off the Greek coast last Saturday. According to reports, 44 children died at sea trying to cross the Mediterranean last month, but none of them made the world headlines. While European countries differ and argue, children are drowning in the Mediterranean. The collective failure of the EU to stop children who are running for their lives from dying on its doorstep is a horrible reflection of its priorities.

This is not just a refugee crisis, but a crisis of humanity. There is no easy solution to it. There is no magic formula. However, the core solution is to end the war in Syria. Europe wrongly believed that it could contain the war in Syria, that some countries could support its rebels, that these could topple Assad's Government and that there would be no consequences for Europe. It continued with this even as the war grew more violent and deadly. It largely turned a blind eye when millions of people escaped to Lebanon, Jordan and Syria seeking refuge. All sides continued to fail to do anything concrete to end the war. Now, more and more refugees are fleeing to Europe as the conditions in Syria and neighbouring countries deteriorate further. Despite repeated urgent appeals, the UN has only received 43% of the funds that it needs to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Syria. The situation has become so bad that the World Food Programme has been forced to cut rations for refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. This issue needs to be to the forefront of the political agenda in Europe. European leaders cannot pander to those who seek to divide and spread fear and hate. All international efforts must be made to resolve the conflict in Syria, not escalate it.

Was the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, TTIP, discussed at the European Council meeting? It seems like a significant issue to leave off the table. Mr. John Hilary, the executive director of the campaign group War on Want, which has been vocal on the threats that TTIP presents, met the European Commissioner for trade, Ms Cecilia Malmström, to discuss it recently. According to reports, when challenged on why she insisted on continuing with the TTIP negotiations when so many EU citizens were against it, the Commissioner stated: "I do not take my mandate from the European people." Is the Taoiseach concerned that the Commissioner for trade, who is negotiating a large agreement that will have an impact on Europe's democratic institutions, environmental standards, workers' rights and the future of the agricultural sector, is not taking her mandate from the people? It should come as no surprise, given that almost all of the documents and details of the negotiations are kept secret and those that have been released have only become public through leaks or pressure from bodies such as the European Ombudsman. Some other documents have been released but are kept in a secret reading room that only some MEPs can enter upon signing an agreement that they will never divulge what they read, and after having their mobile telephones, papers and pens confiscated. A security official even stays in the room while an MEP is present, and these are only some of the documents. The rest are still top secret and kept under lock and key. This is undemocratic. TTIP's potential effects are too important and dangerous for details to be kept from European citizens. Will the Taoiseach stand up for democracy, transparency and the rights of Irish citizens and demand that the TTIP negotiating documents be made public?

The European Council has given the Commission a mandate to negotiate TTIP, yet hundreds of thousands of citizens are mobilising against it. Eleven days ago, nearly 250,000 people marched against TTIP in Berlin. More than 3 million people in Europe have signed a petition against the deal. Surely in the face of such opposition the Council should seek a suspension of the negotiations. Will the Taoiseach listen to the people of Ireland and the EU and join in the call for a suspension?

As my colleague, an Teachta Adams, mentioned, the congress of the European People's Party, EPP, begins in Madrid tomorrow. A leaked version of a new declaration to be launched at the congress states that the EU should move towards the creation of a common army. Is this the Taoiseach's position? Is this the formal position of Fine Gael, or will the Taoiseach seek to change such a declaration? This and successive Fianna Fáil Governments have notoriously undermined Irish neutrality, but is the Taoiseach formally agreeing with his right-wing European colleagues that there should be a standing European army? It is no wonder that the Government failed to support a neutrality Bill proposed by my colleague, an Teachta Crowe, that would have necessitated a referendum to enshrine neutrality in Bunreacht na hÉireann, thereby giving the Irish people a say on the issue. Sinn Féin will continue opposing the further militarisation of the EU, the EPP's efforts to create a standing army and the erosion of Irish neutrality.

See this speech in context