Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on these statements today. Some may believe the situation in Ukraine has gone away, calmed down or settled. Nothing could be further from the truth. This war is becoming more fraught by the day. Despite the invasion and aggression by Russia, the Ukrainian people continue to display immense bravery and dedication to their nation. We are now nearly four years into this war, a war that has shattered lives, displaced families and fundamentally changed the landscape in Europe.

The stakes for Europe are very high. We need to be clear that Russia will not stop in Ukraine. This is what our friends and allies in the Baltics believe to be true, and it is what we see in Russia’s interference in other parts of Europe through its hybrid tactics. We have a moral duty to stand with our allies in Europe, including Ukraine. We must also push back against those who say Europe should not continue to support Ukraine.

Yesterday, Viktor Orbán pushed, not for the first time, the idea that Ukraine should not receive any more help from Europe. He went as far as to say that giving more aid to Ukraine is a bit like trying to help an alcoholic by sending them another crate of vodka. This is the Head of Government of a state within the EU. It is disgraceful and deeply offensive. Our Government, including our new Minister for foreign affairs, must do everything in her power to push back against the Hungarian Government and ensure the Ukrainian people can continue to rely on Europe as a whole. If the past weekend has shown us anything, it is that the Irish certainly know how to put pressure on the Hungarians.

The truth of the matter is that things are not getting better in or for Ukraine. The Russian military’s rapid advance in the Zaporizhzhia region, where it has reportedly taken two more villages, is of great concern. Russia’s attacks on the energy grid continue to ramp up as it attempts to squeeze the country during the winter. The statistics on this are very worrying. Sixty four percent of Ukraine’s 25 GW generating capacity has been either destroyed or occupied since 2024. Ukraine has lost 80% of its thermal capacity since 2024. As of autumn of this year, its energy infrastructure has been operating at only about one third of its pre-invasion generation capacity. As of October 2025, Russia has destroyed 60% of Ukraine’s gas production capacity. This points to an area of aid that Ireland can provide. It can provide tools to help to rebuild the grid and emergency generators. The Irish Government needs to continue to offer support in this regard. We are blessed by our geographic location, which in modern times has left us far away from bad actors such as Russia, which wishes to do us and our allies harm, but we should never take our location for granted, nor should we use our geography to wash our hands of our responsibility to stand in solidarity with our allied nations.

Occupation is something this island knows well. However, the scale of violence due to Russia’s illegal war is something beyond even our knowledge of occupation. Ukraine has had 400,000 members of its military killed or injured, with a further 35,000 missing as of January 2025. Over 14,000 Ukrainian civilians have also been killed. This is a nation and people scarred who are now also spread out all across the world. Over 9.5 million Ukrainians have been displaced by this war, which is 22% of the country’s population.

Imagine for a second that was you and your family who had to flee from your home. No matter how welcoming the host country and family were, it is not where you would truly want to be. Now imagine that political parties in the country to which you fled are deciding to use you for political point scoring. In an Independent Ireland statement last night, Deputy O’Flynn stated, "We cannot go on handing out medical cards to anyone who happens to arrive here bearing a Ukrainian passport". That is the view of Deputy O’Flynn and Independent Ireland. They should be ashamed of themselves. We all know the pitch at which Independent Ireland’s whistle is being set with its Ireland-first policy. It is the party of statements and blusters. We in the Labour Party will not throw Ukrainian people under the bus for a headline. Indeed, our housing spokesperson, Deputy Conor Sheehan, rightly called out the Government this month for the huge lack of clarity it gave the Ukrainian people living in Ireland over its commitment to change entitlements. Without a real plan, the Government risks causing mass homelessness for people who we have rightly supported to this point and still claim to support. The Government should show us it supports them, rather than simply telling us it does.

The attack yesterday on a Polish railway that was key for delivering supplies into Ukraine should be a stark reminder that Russia is a dangerous aggressor to all of Europe. Indeed, a Romanian village has also had to be evacuated yesterday due to a Russian attack near its border. I worry when I see certain politicians try to downplay what Russia is and what it is doing. It is using a hybrid war across the Continent, make no mistake about that. We simply cannot keep our heads in the sand about this. Hybrid warfare is being waged on continental Europe, of which Ireland has been a victim through the HSE attack. We also see worrying activity in our waters and the vulnerability of our undersea cables.

I welcome the increased investment in the national cybersecurity centre in this budget. As our party’s spokesperson on defence, I have met experts and, to be frank, I am greatly concerned with the reactive state of our cybersecurity. The HSE cyberattack, which was instigated by a Russian group, is a warning sign for just how vulnerable we are. With speed and overdue urgency, we need to move to a more proactive space on cyber.

From reports, it seems that President Zelenskyy will be travelling to Ireland in December. What will this Government tell him when he lands? Will it be news that it plans to provide greater support to the people of Ukraine or that the amount of time Ukrainian refugees are housed in State accommodation is to be examined and potentially reduced from 90 to 30 days? I fear we, like others in Europe, are slipping into a place of complacency and acceptance that a Russian victory is inevitable. It is not just here but around Europe governments are talking about cuts to refugees from this war. Statements from Prime Minister Tusk this week fuel those fears. The Prime Minister’s statement that, “Enthusiasm for supporting Ukraine has weakened in Poland and abroad. People are tired of the war and its costs, so maintaining support is harder”, is not helpful to the morale of the Ukrainian people. They cannot be allowed to feel abandoned. Indeed, they cannot be abandoned. This is not a war they wanted or sought. Rather, it is a war that was thrust upon them by an illegal invasion. No one is more tired of this war and its costs than the people of Ukraine. We cannot let apathy take hold. We cannot let the Ukrainian people become a political football and we cannot stop our support for a free, sovereign and democratic Ukraine. Like with Palestine, the history books will remember not just those who stood on the right side of history with this conflict but those who supported the Ukrainian people.

I am proud of what we have done so far as a nation. The effort of the Irish people to support the Ukrainian people who have arrived and settled here has been immense. They are our friends and neighbours and an important part of so many communities. Let us continue our support for the people of Ukraine so when President Zelenskyy arrives in Ireland, we can look him in the eye and tell him Ireland does now and will always support a free and democratic Ukraine.

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