Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I too am glad to speak on this. I am quite alarmed about a number of things. At Taoiseach's questions I asked about the recent visits to conferences and whether neutrality was ever mentioned. The Taoiseach practically ignored me, but then I asked him a second time he said no, neutrality was never mentioned. Our neutrality is being undermined daily and sidelined, with warships coming into the Port of Cork. There were two recently: one British and one Canadian.

I am also intrigued and concerned about another issue. Farmers are harvesting now, the weather is great, thankfully, and they have a fine, promising crop. Almost a thousand tonnes of corn was imported from Russia in recent weeks - from Russia - when we have sanctions against it. What kind of games are being played with the people? It will drive down the price for the co-operatives when buying the farmers' produce. There are games going on here. We are being told there are sanctions and we cannot import, yet this came in. It was actually 2 tonnes short of a thousand tonnes in shiploads of grain. Who is fooling who? There is awful suffering going on in Ukraine - we know that - and it is an awful, horrendous and horrific war -do not let me be accused of anything unfair in that regard - but we are ignoring plight, war and persecution in many parts of the world. I spoke in the House last week about what is going on in Africa and other areas. We are obsessed, and the Taoiseach is definitely obsessed, with going out with his European masters and looking after other places rather than our home turf.

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