Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Social Democrats for allowing me to use its slot. I am on record repeatedly condemning the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia. I am not going to repeat that condemnation, which is without reservation. However, I will use the few minutes available to me to express my extreme concern that the situation in Ukraine is being used to fuel dialogue that is undermining our neutrality. This has been denied by the Tánaiste, who has unfortunately left the Chamber, and the Taoiseach, and vice versawhen the roles were reversed. I have the most serious concerns about neutrality and how we are losing it incrementally.

Deputy Howlin said in a slightly different context that we must constantly take stock. My colleagues and I have a duty to take stock constantly of what neutrality means. That is an active policy. It does not mean standing idly by. It means positive action in promoting peace in the world. I am aghast that the voices are more and more for an all-out war between Ukraine and Russia, leading to an all-out third world war. We cannot raise our voices often enough to say this is utter, sheer madness. As a woman, female Deputy and mother, I cannot believe what we are allowing to happen in our name.

The policy of neutrality has served us very well. It has earned us respect throughout the world. Indeed, it earned us a seat on the UN Security Council. That term has now finished. We are failing to use that respect and the trust that people have in us to be a voice for peace. I am seriously concerned that the constant narrative from the Government, speakers from Government parties and various journalists is that we must speak with one voice and have consensus.

That is the last thing we need in regard to what is happening in Ukraine. We need to be a voice for peace. We need to lift our voices to say that we have to stop this war, it is sheer madness and it will lead only to utter destruction.

In the context of our neutrality, I pay tribute to the courageous people who have kept up a campaign in all sorts of weather down in Shannon, at great cost to themselves. Ed Horgan and Dan Dowling were recently found guilty of trespass at Shannon Airport and ordered to pay €5,000 each, notably to the Clare Haven Refuge for women in County Clare. What is interesting is that the Circuit Court acquitted them of criminal damage charges after they allegedly damaged a US naval aircraft. The judge went on to praise both for their outstanding character, composure and dignity. She emphasised that the €5,000 was not a fine but a financial gesture, and they were ordered to keep the peace. Significantly, Ed Horgan’s comment afterwards was:

We won’t be celebrating today. We will be commemorating all the children killed in the Middle East – up to 1 million children – and unfortunately still being killed as we speak.

I imagine he would say the same about the children and people being killed in Ukraine, and the Russian soldiers as well.

This is about using our voice. I cannot repeat it often enough in my five minutes. I want to hear this. The Government is not speaking for us when it is joining with the big boys. It is not speaking for us when it does not criticise the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. It is worth repeating what he said when addressing Federica Mogherini, the former holder of the post. He stated:

Bruges is a good example of the European garden. Yes, Europe is a garden. We have built a garden. Everything works. It is the best combination of political freedom [and so on]...

He goes on to tell us:

The rest of the world – and you know this very well, Federica – is not exactly a garden.

In case we have any illusions, he tells us that the world outside of Europe is “a jungle”. That is the man who is High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. When he was asked to take that back, he made it worse and emphasised that everything outside is a jungle.

I am absolutely pro-European and a committed European. I abhor the military-industrial complex. I abhor what Europe is doing in our name and the outsourcing of the refugee problem. Here in Ireland, we now have a two-tier system. I do not know how anyone in this House could stand over a two-tier system of higher protection for people fleeing from the Ukraine war and lesser protection for the others. We are an absolute disgrace to stand over that two-tier system.

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