Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The prospect of a full-blown war in Ukraine is edging closer. It is a sovereign country that is dealing with neocolonial actions by Russia that we should all condemn. It is not too late for diplomacy to try to de-escalate the crisis because thousands of lives are at risk. Open war is edging closer and an emergency that we have not faced in many decades is on our doorstep. Ukraine will soon declare a state of emergency and has advised its citizens to leave Russia. It is a deeply concerning time for Europe. Collectively, as a House we should, if possible, unanimously condemn what the Russian Federation has done by recognising its client states in the Donbas region of Ukraine. I hope there will be cross-party support for a motion. I formally ask the Taoiseach to put forward a motion to the House that all of us can support. We want to avoid war but it is clear who the aggressor is.

At the UN Security Council yesterday, our ambassador made clear our unwavering commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity with its recognised borders. What further action will Ireland take at the Security Council? The Taoiseach met with the German Chancellor yesterday, who announced that the certification process of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline would not go ahead. Will the Taoiseach send a clear message about what sanctions will be put in place?

As documented by Fintan O'Toole yesterday, between 2005 and 2017, €118 billion was funnelled through the International Financial Services Centre, IFSC, to Russian entities. Let me repeat that figure: €118 billion. We are at risk of becoming the best small country in the world to funnel corrupt dirty Russian oligarchs' money, mostly through section 110 companies that pay little, if any, tax and with no real transparency of who the beneficial owners are. Oligarchs are washing money through countries like our own because they cannot trust their own banking system because it is so corrupt. If sanctions by the US, the UK and the EU lead to a clampdown on Russian billionaires, there is a likelihood that oligarchs and their shell companies, thousands of them, may seek to use Ireland to continue to funnel money. What are we and the Government going to do about it? I do not need to tell the Taoiseach about the impact all of this has on energy prices and the costs that will affect consumers. Can we look for a derogation from the EU on our historic 13.5% on electricity and gas to allow it to be reduced and then returned?

There are three components to my question. What actions will Ireland take at the Security Council and what sanctions will the Taoiseach implement? Will he bring forward a motion that we can collectively support and show our true colours by condemning the Russian Federation for its actions? Second, will he ensure that Russian money flowing through Ireland is targeted, because this is deeply concerning? In addition, will he look at the cost of energy prices going forward and look for a derogation from the EU on VAT rules?

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