Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to be able to speak today in advance of the European Council meeting at such an important time in the world with what is going on in Gaza and in the Middle East in general. Like most right-thinking people, I was horrified to hear the comments of the European Commission President, Ms von der Leyen, at the outset of this. I listened to the Taoiseach on Leaders' Questions yesterday responding to an Teachta McDonald. He was giving her a kind of tuition as to how, if she were in his shoes going to these meetings, she would have to behave, talk, listen and engage. We all understand the ground rules with 27 members and whatever. However, it is time that we in Ireland asserted ourselves under the tricolour as a peaceful nation and insisted on that. Instead, we have hitched ourselves up completely to the Ukrainian wagon. Are we now going to come out on the side of Israel here? I utterly condemn what Hamas did and is doing. I utterly condemn what Israel is doing, with the United States and everybody else homing in there. We are in a very dangerous area.

I hope our advice and the advice of our people, our Taoiseach and an Aire Stáit, is that we are not happy with this. We are recognised - our passports are recognised all over the world - as an independent and neutral State and we punch way above our weight. Now we are completely on this bandwagon in Europe. We all climb on behind the one wagon and hitch ourselves to any kinds of policies at all at the behest of some bigger powers in that group, namely, Germany, France, England and others. We are just the good boys in the class and with a nod and a wink do what they want to do.

The Tánaiste, Deputy Micheál Martin, has said that our neutrality is now outdated. Is he saying those kinds of things over at these meetings? He does not represent us if he is. I am not sure what the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, is saying over there, but I want him to say that we are a proud independent people who play our part. Our neutrality has served us well. As a neutral country, we have been able to be peace brokers and punch above our weight many times. However, we have this shift now. I reiterate what I said this morning - I do not see why we should have the Ukrainian flag at the same level as our tricolour outside Leinster House. I walked out at dusk yesterday evening as a member of the military police was taking it down. Why should we have it? We are Ireland, and the tricolour represents us. We are not Ukraine.

It is amazing how Ukraine is forgotten about when the Americans and others are putting their energy into the troubles in the Middle East. As far as I am concerned, we have overstepped ourselves with the Russia-Ukraine war. I am not condoning what Russia has done, but I am questioning practices on the part of President Zelenskyy and his team out there and what they have done to their own people for the past ten years. No one in the media or anywhere else wants to mention that. We are all just focused on a big global issue. We are all in it together and we would do anything. Someone, I believe the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, picked me up suggesting that I mentioned bombs. I did not. I mentioned bullets, helmets and clothing being supplied. Our soldiers are training Ukrainians on how to clear land mines. What will be next? Where will it stop? We might as well be part of the war as to be doing those things. I want to hear reports back that we are representing Ireland, Éire, a neutral country and we are proud of that. We will stay proud of it and we will serve our country better by doing that.

Our peacekeepers are out there and are all over the world and are recognised. Unfortunately, the Government has abandoned the Jadotville peacekeepers who fought that momentous battle despite being so outnumbered all those years ago in the Congo. The Tánaiste promised to do everything for them before he became Taoiseach and now he will not even meet them. These people must be recognised for what they have done. We must support our peacekeepers as a country that likes its involvement in peacekeeping. Our neutrality will keep us in that position in Europe.

One of the previous speakers mentioned the seven new countries set to join. It is getting ever bigger. I have question marks over project Europe especially when you lose your identity and your soul, if they ever had one. I want the Minister of State and the Taoiseach to assert themselves and be heard as a voice for peace and neutrality.

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