Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will return to the question of the Ukrainian crisis. We are in a unique position geographically on the western flank of Europe and we are also neutral. I wonder if we are all getting caught up in a sound bite. We have seen the problems in the UK currently for its prime minister and perhaps having something else to point to is a good deflection for him. It is possibly the same in France, with elections to be held soon. We know absolutely that Russian President Vladimir Putin is pushing back against NATO expansion.

Ireland has a long record of being seen as a quality intermediary and a party of high integrity. The Minister of State has indicated there have been major diplomatic missions, meetings and what have you but has our Government done enough at this time? We might have retired ambassadors who could take up a role to ensure the middle ground argument is heard. There is always the left, the right and then the middle ground.

I do not know what is being said in the Russian media now but it is probably bellicose and anti-Western. We are not far behind on the other side. The question is whether we have looked at trying to put some emissaries on the ground and offering to put some people into the mix that could be seen to use our neutrality, integrity and relationship with the UN to try to level some political space so people might talk in a more mild-mannered way.

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