Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for their comments. It is important, when we engage with our European partners in the 27 member states of the European Union, that we always try to understand the positions they are coming from. We may disagree, we may criticise each other and we may compromise but shouting and pointing the finger really does not work in international affairs or in forums such as the European Council. We have to understand where different countries are coming from. Every country sees the situation in the Middle East through its own historical experience. We certainly do. That is one of the many reasons we identify with the Palestinian people and support their quest for statehood, because we see certain parallels between what Ireland experienced and what they experience. We also need to understand that other European countries might see it differently, given the horrendous treatment of Jewish people in Europe for centuries, culminating in the events of the 1930s and 1940s and causing so many to flee to Israel, their ancestral homeland. We also have to bear in mind that many countries, much more recently, have been at the receiving end of very serious Islamic terrorism, killing people on their streets. The attack on the music festival in Israel was not the first Islamic terrorist attack on a music event. It has happened in France, in Britain and other places. We need to understand that other people will see things in a somewhat different way than we would. If we cannot do that, we are not going to persuade anyone of anything. We will just be taking an isolated position. What I will do on Thursday and Friday, as I have done in the past two weeks, is bring the Irish perspective to the table to say that Europe cannot have double standards when it comes to human rights. We cannot say one thing about President Putin's actions in Ukraine and then take a totally different position when it comes to violations of international law happening in other places.

We also need to consider the impact on Ukraine. Ireland and a number of countries have done a lot of work to say to countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia that what is happening in Ukraine is an imperialist war. It is Russia trying to re-establish its old empire and it should be seen as that. That is why we ask people in Latin America, Africa and Asia to stand with Ukraine in defending its independence, its democracy and its sovereignty. That gets a lot harder when people in the global south see different standards being applied. We have to think not just of what is right but also of Europe's interests in terms of victory in Ukraine and how Russia will exploit what is happening in the Middle East to pursue its imperialist course. That is a big concern I have and a point I will strongly be making in Brussels during the week.

Some of the Deputies raised the case of a former employee of Wix. I am not aware of the case. I do not know the details or the facts. Before coming to any judgment on anything or condemning anyone, I would always wish to know the facts and hear all sides of any case. Under Irish employment law, it is not okay to dismiss somebody because of their political views. I believe that to be wrong and would encourage the woman concerned to seek advice, whether from the WRC, a trade union or a solicitor, because it may well constitute wrongful dismissal and there are remedies that would then apply. Of course, all the facts would need to be known before we know what the outcome will be.

Deputy Durkan talked about the need for one authoritative body. In a world that worked better, the United Nations would be such a body. Unfortunately, we do not have a body that is trusted, accepted and respected by everyone. That is the real dilemma and the real shame in the situation.

On the question of expelling ambassadors and closing embassies, I will say the same thing I said when people called for the Russian ambassador to be expelled and the Russian Embassy to be closed. Even countries at war have diplomatic relations, have diplomats, have ambassadors and sometimes have embassies.

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