Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish to express my disappointment at the way this is being handled by Government. As it happens, the Labour Party was happy to sign up to the original draft of the motion circulated to us by Government. We believe it is very important that all of us, on a cross-party basis, express solidarity with the people of Ukraine in the way that was originally intended. When that motion was not agreed, we understood a new version might be circulated for statements tomorrow. This announcement was made by the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, just as that motion was being circulated to us. My email states that it came in at 12.42 p.m., which was five minutes ago. There is new wording which we have not seen. Many of us are due to speak in this House between now and when that motion is due to be taken. It is very unfortunate that we would see this matter being handed in such a divisive way. This is something on which we should all be able to come together to express solidarity. As other have, I ask the Taoiseach and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, to withdraw the motion and bring it back for discussion tomorrow, which indeed is closer to the crucial and terrible one year anniversary on Friday. That would have been a better way to have dealt with this, rather than to try to infiltrate and shoehorn it into today's business schedule, which is fairly packed. That is not appropriate. It would have been better to do it tomorrow, as we had understood it would be.

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