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

As we mark the first anniversary on Friday of Russia's brutal and horrific invasion of Ukraine just one year ago, I am proud to speak on behalf of the Labour Party. I start by paying tribute to the immense courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people as they have experienced the horrific firepower of Russia over the past year. I pay tribute to President Zelenskyy, his Government and our friend here in Ireland, the Ukrainian ambassador, H.E. Larysa Gerasko, for her steadfast advocacy on behalf of her country and her people.

As the brutal Russian invasion continues, we have learned of horrific war crimes in Bucha and across other cities and towns, and about the appalling siege of civilians in Mariupol some months ago and the atrocities and war crimes committed, in many cases against women and children, by Russian forces in a peaceful and democratic country in Europe. There has been devastation in the Donetsk region and enormous displacement of people, with some 6 million internally displaced in Ukraine and 8 million refugees recorded across Europe. That figure represents about 19% of the Ukrainian population as of 2021. We have seen tens of thousands killed, between civilians and soldiers, and that sad death toll continues. Just this morning there was a report from UNICEF about the horrific impact on children of injuries and deaths as a result of mortar bombs from Russia. These reports have horrified us all and they show the need for an intensification of our collective response.

While we in the Labour Party have welcomed the rounds of EU sanctions and welcomed the expulsion by the Government last year of four diplomatic staff from the Russian embassy, we believe stronger measures need to be taken. Indeed, President Zelenskyy in his address to these Houses last year called on us to do that and told us our leadership can make a difference. I am renewing my call for the expulsion of the Russian ambassador from Ireland as he continues to mount brazen denials of the truth of what is happening in Ukraine and what his Government is doing to the people of Ukraine. We are also calling for the Irish Government to show strong support for Ukraine's expedited accession to the EU and for an urgent initiation of investigations into Russian war crimes against civilians. We are calling for speedy passage into law of Deputy Howlin’s Magnitsky legislation, which the Labour Party brought forward in the Dáil in December 2021, before the invasion, and which would give significant additional powers to sanction Russian war criminals.

Putin has shown that he wants to wipe Ukraine off the map. He wants to abolish Ukraine's culture and its history. He must fail and he will fail. We are a militarily neutral country and we are very proud in the Labour Party of defending our military neutrality, but we must not and cannot be politically neutral in the face of this brutal aggression from the Russian leadership. Putin is the aggressor; he is the bully. There is no moral equivalence and that is why we in the Labour Party are happy to support the wording of the Government motion, which unequivocally expresses solidarity with the people of Ukraine and takes a clear stance against Russian aggression. It is also why we cannot support the amendments put forward. Indeed, we believe they are misguided because they suggest a moral equivalence. In condemning NATO and calling for an immediate ceasefire, they suggest there is an equality of bargaining power on both sides. They undermine or choose to ignore the fact there is one bully and aggressor here. We cannot be morally or politically neutral in the face of that aggression.

This is personal for me. My grandfather was imprisoned by the Nazis and then fled his home country of the Czech Republic because he foresaw the Soviet takeover there. He found refuge here in Ireland with his young family, including my father, who was born in the Czech Republic. He re-established Waterford Glass and there is now a plaza named for him in Waterford. His contribution shows the immense benefit to Irish society and the Irish economy of inward migration. My father's home country, the Czech Republic, has taken in 400,000 Ukrainian refugees, which is the highest number per head of population in Europe. I am proud of that response in the Czech Republic but I am very proud that we in Ireland have taken in such a high proportion as well. We have taken in 77,000 Ukrainian refugees. That is a matter of pride, and communities across Ireland have shown such immense solidarity and generosity in welcoming Ukrainian refugees here. The Government needs to show a more co-ordinated approach in meeting the needs of refugees in the communities that are welcoming them. We need a strong public information campaign.

I want to pay tribute to all of those who are involved in the collective national effort, including the Ukraine civil society forum and Ukrainian Action in Ireland, in helping Irish hosts here. We in the Opposition want to play our part in that national effort of welcoming Ukrainian refugees who are fleeing such appalling carnage and brutality from Putin. There is immense solidarity here in Ireland with the Ukrainian people and that is why it is important we have a cross-party consensus on this simple Government motion calling for solidarity with Ukraine and calling for condemnation, outright and unequivocally, of the brutal bullying tactics of Russia. We stand, collectively, with Ukraine in this House. We stand with Ukraine in Ireland. Slava Ukraini.

See this speech in context