Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I was not present for the beginning of the debate because the transport committee had the news that Aer Lingus was refusing to come before it next week to deal with the issues we are all hearing about left, right and centre regarding cancelled flights. We know they are issues throughout Europe and the world. We need to know the particular issues that relate to Aer Lingus as they impact on family holidays and on business. People to whom I have spoken recently are trying to get whatever flights they can that are not operated by Aer Lingus. It is an absolute disgrace on its part. There is a wider issue and a necessity that governments throughout Europe engage to ensure we can get beyond this point. Connectivity is an absolute must and a need for an island.

There will be much talk today on food security and the absolute necessity that we protect lives. We all know that we need to ensure food security throughout Europe. Beyond this there are possible humanitarian catastrophes about to happen in the Horn of Africa and parts of the Middle East. We cannot allow this to happen. The Russians have weaponised food and energy. We need to get some detail on what conversations are happening regarding block buying fuels, mitigation or facilitating renewables. We need to know.

The biggest danger to democracy is the fact there have been failures throughout Europe to look after working people and those on the periphery. We have to do what is necessary. There has to be engagement from the Government with the European Commission and others throughout Europe from the point of view of what can be done to mitigate the huge costs of fuel and electricity.

While I accept that we cannot do everything, there definitely is more that can be done.

I was very glad to see continued solidarity with Ukraine at a recent COSAC meeting in Prague. While there was great support for accession for Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia and the western Balkans, it was also accepted that the European Union has to be about rule of law. There will be a need for all of these countries to ensure that they can step up to the mark, with regard to rule of law and democracy. That is something that we absolutely need.

I have heard considerable interest in Ireland and the particular issues in the North and continued solidarity on the Irish protocol, but it was realised that the conversation in Ireland has changed and that we are moving towards Irish unity. There is a need for those preparations to happen here. We need the Government to step up to the mark and we will need the European Union to do its preparatory work.

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