John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Undoubtedly, the most pressing issue of the moment is the potential for the outbreak of open conflict in Ukraine.

Sinn Féin is committed to the principles inherent in the United Nations resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 27 March 2014 in respect of the territorial integrity of Ukraine. This resolution calls on all states "to refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, and to settle their international disputes by peaceful means". As a member of the UN Security Council and as a neutral nation, Ireland has the moral standing and political platform to actively pursue a course of action to push for a de-escalation of the current crisis in Ukraine. As a nation, we must be seen to represent and to remain a voice for calm and reason. We must use our position on the UN Security Council and within the EU to push for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

This morning, I met with the Russian ambassador to Ireland. During this meeting, I set out the points I have just made and highlighted the need for a de-escalation of the current crisis. I also raised the issue of the Russian naval exercises planned to take place off the southern coast of Ireland next week. I voiced the opposition of Sinn Féin to these planned exercises. I have previously spoken out against similar exercises conducted by the British navy off the coast of Donegal, during which Irish fishing trawlers were forced from the area by the British. Such exercises also carry a threat to marine biodiversity and wildlife. Under current legislation, the Royal Navy is required to consult with conservation groups to ensure its activities do not endanger wildlife in Britain. However, when it enters Irish waters, there is no such requirement. This is totally unacceptable and it is something Sinn Féin recently sought to change through amendments to the Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2021. Unfortunately, these amendments were opposed by the Government.

Ireland has an international responsibility to patrol its waters, both surface and subsurface, and its skies. As a neutral nation, we must do so with the resources available to us. The events of which we speak have clearly illuminated the failure of this Government to equip our Defence Forces to meet the challenges inherent in our national responsibilities. We must not allow this Government's failing of our Defence Forces to become a Trojan horse to shuttle our country down a road that would see Ireland further immersed in the ongoing project to militarise the EU. Ireland possesses a coveted position on the UN Security Council, which was acquired as a result of a record of decades of neutrality and peacekeeping. This moment challenges our resolve to step up to the expectations of the nations of the world that voted to put us on the Security Council.

See this speech in context