Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I again welcome the Ukrainian ambassador, H.E. Larysa Gerasko, and her team and look forward, on behalf of our group, to a productive dialogue. I look forward to meeting her. Like everybody else, I am very concerned about what is going on. Many Ukrainian nationals, some of whom are now Irish citizens, are living and working in Tipperary and have families. They are involved in crafts and trades. They are a valuable source of workers and very friendly people in Tipperary and around the country.

I am worried about our situation in Ireland, given that we are a neutral country. We are neutral in name, but we are abandoning that. I am worried about the statements and noises being made by NATO and Europe. Are we provoking a situation? Kicking a dog often enough means he will bite. I am worried.

We turn a blind eye to many cases of oppression and genocide all over the world. We do not mention that at all because it does not suit us. International women's day is coming up. It has been welcomed, organised and celebrated in this country. Women in minority Muslim and Christian sects are being slaughtered and abused. There are forced marriages and trafficking. People were talking about that on International Women's Day, but how many people were listening? We are ignoring that, and we should not be doing that.

We have to play our part. Our Army has been diminished to nothing. We have no respect for our Army any more and yet we want to flex our muscles. We will not speak out about the issues we should be speaking out about. We are selective in what we speak out about. I do not want to see war, no more than anybody else. The human cost will be ferocious. This is not acceptable as far as I am concerned. We are making noises and going towards PESCO and other situations like that. We should value and support our neutrality.

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