Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have an article in front of me from July 2020 by the Charlemagne columnist in The Economist. It states that Ireland has a claim, per capita, to be the world's most diplomatically powerful country. The article cites four key positions, including the trade commissionership in Brussels. Around the time that column was being written, Phil Hogan did something quite stupid. It was not a criminal offence and he has never been charged with anything, but he did something quite stupid and the Taoiseach and Tánaiste had him removed. That was, perhaps, self-serving and undoubtedly populist, but what did it achieve? A couple of months later, Ursula von der Leyen triggered Article 16 and the Irish Commissioner was not even consulted.

Turning to the situation of the Minister, Deputy Coveney, Ireland is now chairing the UN Security Council. It might be a vanity project but we are there and we need to do it properly. To remove a Minister for Foreign Affairs at this moment in time would be an act that would damage not Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or the Green Party, in whom I have little confidence, no more than I do in the Government of which they are part, but would damage Ireland. For that reason alone, I urge the House to support this motion.

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