Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We must retain our neutrality because it has served us well since de Valera stood up to Churchill in the Second World War. We want no part of military alliances, but we should not abandon our own Army. It was ridiculous to have them on income supplement to feed their families. We must keep a proper peacekeeping force. We must modernise the Army, Naval Service and Air Force. We need a navy to protect our fishermen and not to be depending on fishermen from Berehaven, Dingle and other places to talk to the Russians about their proposed involvement off our shores. We need a proper navy and air force.

In maintaining our neutrality, we need to have our own liquified natural gas, LNG, plant for access to gas. We should reopen Bord na Móna to ensure we have energy security until we have other alternatives of our own and not be dependent on Russia for coal and gas. It is ridiculous that we must have our finger in some other mouth when we need energy. Now we see where we are; we are drawing coal from Russia to keep Moneypoint going. We have to keep it going. We are drawing woodchip from Germany and importing peat from Latvia and other places. We see where we are now.

I will finish on that note as I am cutting into another speaker's time.

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