Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

If I could, it is very important that I make this point genuinely in the face of the war that we are facing on our Continent. The European Union, working together as a unified body with the United States and Canada, packs a powerful punch. We have seen that in terms of the sanctions that have been agreed. We were very clear at the EU Council meeting - we wanted the widest set of sanctions. We want to protect Irish citizens and we want to maintain diplomatic channels to protect Irish citizens in Ukraine, in Russia and elsewhere. It is important that we bear that in mind before taking precipitative action on the expulsions front. That could be done in a day; it is very easy, but the repercussions could be much longer felt by Irish citizens. That is the challenge.

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