Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The UK is not in the European Union but it is in Europe. The European Union is not Europe and it is important to recognise that. Switzerland is in Europe but it is not in the European Union. I am not referring to the EU.

In the last few days, I have heard very little criticism in this House of what Hamas did on 7 October. We are very fair and proportionate. We criticise what Hamas did on 7 October and we also and more firmly criticise the actions of Israel and its barbaric slaughter in the Gaza Strip of thousands of utterly defenceless innocent women, children and men. When we talk about neutrality, we cannot ignore what has happened in the world since the last general election. In case the Deputies have not noticed, there have been changes since then. They talk about neutrality. I talk about military neutrality as part of this debate for the very simple reason that I, the Deputies and everyone else know the Irish people are not one bit neutral when it comes to Israel and the Palestinian people. We are not a neutral country politically or ideologically. We do not favour downtrodden people being overrun by military might, as happened in this country over many years. We are not neutral when it comes to a big, aggressive offender with mighty arms, trampling over lives and killing innocent people who are powerless to defend themselves. Similarly, the Irish people are not one bit neutral when it comes to Russia and Ukraine and what Putin has done in Ukraine. The Irish people are very clear. We support the Ukrainian people. We support Ukraine's early access to the European Union in order that, collectively, we will be stronger against the aggressions of the military might of Russia. Russia believes the longer this goes on, the better for it because it will wear down resistance.

Ireland has worked to make sure funding is put back in place for various projects, including for the people in Gaza. We are taking a lead with UNRWA and asking countries that have suspended funding to reinstate it immediately. I attended a meeting of the foreign affairs committee in Europe two weeks ago to put pressure on the European Commission which had withheld some of its funding to UNRWA while Ms Catherine Colonna's investigation was under way. The European Commission has agreed to bring forward and pay over the funding it had withheld. That is what we do.

We are not neutral when it comes to Israel and Gaza. We are not neutral when it comes to Russia and Ukraine. However, people think we are neutral. They should get real. The Irish people are not neutral. This Chamber is not neutral. Deputies should not talk to us about being neutral when some country is slaughtering the people of another country. We are not one bit neutral. When it comes to military action, as a small country of 5 million people, we have been taking part in peacekeeping missions around the world for 60 years. There has not been a single day in over 60 years that Ireland has not been involved in a UN peacekeeping mission. That will continue because people see us as fair-minded. We never participated in a war, invaded a country or supported any country during the world wars.

See this speech in context