John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

In my experience as chair of the foreign affairs and trade committee, the Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland came in last week. We received a comprehensive statement. Has the Tánaiste or Taoiseach considered initiating some sort of round table facility with leaders of the Opposition? It strikes me that we get, and rightly so, incredibly exercised about events in Israel, Gaza and Palestine. This does not need to be binary. However, there seems to be a real lack of understanding in certain parts of the House on the actual necessity to engage with the Ukrainian peace and the threat that Russia poses. That threat is spreading across Scandinavia into the shadow fleet off the shores of this island, yet there does not seem to be the same deep embedded appreciation for the threat that poses to us. I do not know whether a number of mature adult conversations need to be had on a regular basis and based on confidentiality because there are security issues. That was not part of the question; I have run into it.

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