Dáil debates

Wednesday, 15 September 2021

Confidence in Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence: Motion

 

7:05 pm

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to support Simon Coveney. Simon made a mistake, for which he has been fully accountable. His integrity is absolutely beyond question. His record of outstanding service is open to anyone to inspect. Katherine Zappone is not a crony when it comes to defending LGBT rights and history will show that. These facts are not lost on Sinn Féin. That is why it has shifted its attack tonight. It seeks to destroy Simon Coveney's career to create a political platform to attack every party that is part of this Government. That is using the solemn process of removing someone from office in a way that undermines the value of a process that should be about proportionate accountability. Those of us who believe in proportionate accountability see it is being destroyed and hurt by this approach that Sinn Féin is taking. We are devaluing something that is core to a process. It is part of Sinn Féin's binary politics. It may be successful to make it black and white and say that people are either on their side or against them. It is no accident that Sinn Féin is using this against a politician who is tireless in his attempts to find common ground and understanding with others with whom he has differences. That has been discarded by Sinn Féin. Their politics is about building a wall and taking back control. They seek to present a simplistic caricature of Simon Coveney and others in government. It is not worthy of a party like Sinn Féin to adopt but that seems to be its way.

I believe it will galvanise this Government because we know that we need politics that examines evidence and develops solutions that are sustainable for the public. That is what Simon Coveney has done throughout his career, whether in the Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine or Foreign Affairs or dealing with the issues of Northern Ireland and Brexit. He has demonstrated his ability to stay the course and to find ways that we could bring people together to resolve differences that hold us apart. That is the sort of approach we need if we want to create a shared Ireland, not the divisive, binary politics that we see all too often from Sinn Féin. I vote full confidence in Simon Coveney. He is part of the answer to this country's problems and his record of service shows that is the case. I believe that he will be pivotal in the future as we seek to deal with many really tricky problems, both in relationships on these islands and in the wider political arena, in which he has immense understanding and sympathy for the ordinary person.

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