Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are few politicians in this House that better understand the practical value of our neutrality and the impact it has had on Ireland being able to support the vulnerable and stand by our principles and our commitment to human rights than, for example, the Taoiseach. As a Minister for Foreign Affairs, and now as a representative of the European Council, he has articulated the value of our neutrality on many occasions. The Minister for Foreign Affairs used an emphasis on neutrality and our commitment to human rights to, for example, see Ireland attain a position on the UN Security Council.

I can assure Deputy Murphy of two things. The first is that this Government and those involved in this debate are well aware of the importance of our neutrality and the impact it can have on articulating and effecting Irish values on foreign policy in a world that has become so volatile and dangerous. The second thing I can assure the Deputy of is that there is no political establishment over here. Instead, what we have is a Government that is looking at a world that is changing and has become more dangerous. It is looking at millions of people who are fleeing chaos, trauma and the disintegration of their lives due to a war that is being waged by Vladimir Putin. We are seeking to find the ways in which we can co-operate most effectively with like-minded countries within the European Union.

The very capacities and policies that we are now using to respond to this humanitarian crisis are the same that Deputy Murphy campaigned against, and has been against, for so long. From a humanitarian and defence point of view, the Government is responding in a way that is consistent with our policies and values. The Government has acknowledged that in a world that is changing and has become so much more dangerous we are neutral, but we are not neutral to the carnage and terror that is being inflicted on people in Ukraine at the moment. We are not neutral when it comes to that. They are values that we hold dear.

When we see the scenes that are taking place and the poor children and teenagers coming to our airports without their parents, that is something that we are not neutral about and we want to respond to that. Any debate that takes place regarding the principles that underpin our foreign and security policy for decades to come will of course happen in public and in a way in which the Oireachtas is central.

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