Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I will comment on what I see as the stunning lack of self-reflection and self-criticism from Donald Tusk and, for that matter, from the Taoiseach. Donald Tusk said in his speech here that people are turning against what they perceive as an irrational openness and that they see the world around them getting more chaotic with uncontrolled migration and terrorism.

First, these are unfortunate concessions to the scaremongering of those in the far right who are trying to whip up fear and racism against immigrants coming into this country. They were not helpful words from Donald Tusk in that regard. Moreover, they show a complete lack of self-criticism in the sense of asking about Europe's role in creating the sense of disillusionment that is widespread throughout Europe.

In the case of the meeting with Taoiseach, I note that Donald Tusk declined to comment on Apple. It not a fact that the economic inequality throughout Europe is substantially a result of the fact that giant corporations evade tax or do not want to pay tax, the banks get it all their own way and people take it in the neck? Is that not why we have such widespread alienation? Is that not the seedbed for much of the racist sentiment that is then, wrongly, directed at immigrants?

I note the conversation with Deputy Martin earlier about Aleppo and so on and the absolutely justified criticisms of Russia's disgusting actions in Aleppo, its bombing there and so on. That criticism is right and proper. However, something is absolutely missing when they are talking about the Syrian crisis and the migration crisis. This much is clear from the comments of the Taoiseach, those of Deputy Martin or those from anyone in the European Union. What is missing is any sense of the culpability of Europe and the West in the very same cynical military intervention, intervention in Syria and in the wider region.

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