Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is not the first time it has happened to me.

I wish to focus on the massive move towards militarism within the European Union and reflect on what the Taoiseach presented to us. He referred to the loosening of the purse strings in Europe in terms of rearming countries at a time when we have so many crises, including the housing crisis. During the European elections last year, our candidate in Dublin, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, as well as our other candidates, strongly focused on the need for housing and a housing commissioner. We have that in the EU now. Despite significant evidence of housing crises, not only in our country but throughout Europe, the EU has been slow to move to fund a solution, but when it comes to rearmament and militarisation, Ursula von der Leyen is opening the coffers.

The Taoiseach said this very much aligns with the ambitious investment programme that is in place for our own Defence Forces to implement the recommendations of the Commission on the Defence Forces and it aligns with the programme for Government. He says that we will be able to do what we need to do to improve our own security. A couple of hours ago I spoke about the need for us to invest in our own security. That is fine. What the Taoiseach is saying is that we will be able to benefit from the EU's largesse in opening the coffers, but that the EU also fully respects Ireland's policy of military neutrality, which will not be affected in any way. He says our position is "fully understood and respected by our European partners". That is not what we hear from the European Union. What we hear from the European Union and our partner countries is that Ireland remains an outlier, that we must get our act together, and that we should be joining a common defence union, which we are implacably against. What does not compute is the Taoiseach saying that in one way we will be able to benefit from the free-flowing funds from the EU to improve our own defence capabilities, but that there will be no ask from the EU relating to the implementation of our policy of military neutrality. We know that when we required EU funding during the bailout there were significant conditionalities placed on it, as there is for all EU funding mechanisms. It does not compute that if we benefit by drawing down money to invest in and improve our own security and Defence Forces that there will not be conditionality towards a common defence union and an impact on our neutrality. We must have a more rigorous and honest reflection on the conversations on militarism happening in the EU and how that will impact on Ireland.

On the Middle East, I hope the Taoiseach strongly put forward our condemnation of Israel's breaking of the ceasefire and pushed for serious sanctions to be placed on Israel. I do not have confidence from what he presented here that that actually took place. We know from his briefing on the occupied territories Bill that our support for the Palestinian people, including those in Gaza and the West Bank, has been weakened and diminished in recent weeks by the new Government's actions, after it did important things last year, such as the recognition of the State of Palestine.

He stated that the EU has a long-standing commitment to contribute to a co-ordinated international effort to rebuild Gaza and this plan represents a strong basis for taking forward our engagement. How does that EU plan for the rebuilding of Gaza mesh with the grotesque video from Donald Trump and his Administration about their views on what Gaza should look like in the future? That poses a threat from the United States. While it happened after the EU Council meeting, we will need further and more in-depth briefings about how the EU is engaging with the US Administration after the leaked Signal messages in which JD Vance and Hegseth called the European Union pathetic and freeloaders. These are strange and concerning times and we need to see stronger action from the EU in that regard.

While I have the floor, I raise the Government's response to the detention of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul, and others on charges of alleged corruption and terrorism. There is not doubt in the minds of the Labour Party that these actions are politically motivated and aimed at undermining and potentially preventing a challenger from participating in the upcoming elections. It is important to pay tribute to the thousands of demonstrators on the streets of Türkiye who protested despite the risk of police brutality. We have to be clear about our rejection of Erdoğan's actions at a European level.

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