Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The net point is that whatever views are taken of Russia, America or any other administration or regime, at the core of this matter is this country and its policy and tradition of military neutrality and an independent foreign policy.

Was the issue of Catalonia discussed? The Taoiseach will be aware that Charles Puigdemont was detained in Germany on Sunday. All of this is playing out before the international community and European Union. This is extraordinary. The lengths to which not only the Spanish state but the European system has been deployed to subvert, quell and crush the desire in Catalonia for independence, democratically expressed at polling stations, is astonishing. One can argue constitutionally the legality or the status of that particular process, which may be fine, but what is beyond doubt is that real, legitimate political aspirations are now meeting the heavy hand of the law. Was this issued and what did the Taoiseach say on the matter?

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