Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In the brief time I have, I acknowledge the presence of the Ukrainian ambassador and I also reiterate my condemnation of the illegal invasion of Ukraine.

The Tánaiste gave a very long speech of 12 pages in which he said, "Two years on, tragically, it seems that we are no closer to peace." I say it is more than tragic; it is deplorable. We have utterly failed to use our voice to bring peace, not just in Ukraine where appalling slaughter is going on, but throughout the world. Again, I absolutely reiterate what my colleague has said at the contrasting approaches from Europe regarding the deaths in Gaza and in Palestine and the deaths in Ukraine. We cannot compare deaths nor numbers, although it is extraordinary in a 12-page speech that we do not get any details at all on the appalling slaughter in Ukraine and on how many people have actually died and suffered, as have in Russia as well.

When the Tánaiste tells us he is not doing away with our neutrality, I am not one bit reassured because that neutrality concept has become more and more flexible all the time. As a neutral, independent sovereign State, we should be using our voice at every level to bring peace to Ukraine. Of course, the Ukrainian people must determine the conditions for that peace and what is necessary, but our voice must be used to push for that peace. Two years on, we are looking at utter slaughter and the only people making money is the arms industry. Equally, in Palestine, the arms industry is all over this. We have utterly failed to learn and I am particularly concerned that Ireland is giving away something without learning anything at all. Bertrand Russell, who lived an extraordinarily long life and was a philosopher, mathematician and recipient of the Nobel Prize, said a long time ago:

Our world has sprouted a weird concept of security and a warped sense of morality. Weapons are sheltered like treasures ... [while] children are exposed to incineration.

Unfortunately, that is as applicable today as it ever was when we are talking about Ukraine and the illegal invasion by Russia. Equally, when we speak of the invasion by Israel of Palestine and Gaza. I put on record that our credibility is at stake if we deal with one war differently than another, and that is exactly what this country has been doing. It has taken almost 30,000 deaths and an inordinate number of people injured to get us to write a letter with the Spanish Prime Minister, or whoever the person was.

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