Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)

I am glad to get the opportunity to talk on this very important matter this evening. I, like everyone else, commiserate with the people of Ukraine who have gone through so much. What is going on is terrible as is the length of time it has been going on.

We have to recognise that Ireland has played a major part in welcoming, as was said previously, up to 120,000 people from Ukraine. Of course, I welcome people who are working here, are in employment here and can stand on their own two feet here. However, when we read the headlines in the newspaper today, we see that Ireland paid over €1 billion last year and several billions for the past three or four years. We come in here day after day asking the Government for different things and pleading for our own needy people, whether the elderly, people in hospitals, children or whatever, and invariably we are told we do not have the money for different things. I cannot see how we can sustain this level of spending. Unless the Government can explain otherwise, that it has a separate fund or whatever, I cannot see how we are going to sustain spending that kind of money.

Of course, we have a housing crisis here. At the start of the war the Government decided to pay towards accommodation for Ukrainians. It started with €800 tax free but it is now €600. I do not mind if the Government does the same for our people who were brought up here, are trying to live here and continue to stay here. However, it steadfastly refuses to give €600 per month to our people. That is not fair. I have to fight for our people too, and I make no bones about it. If the Government can give €600 a month tax free for a Ukrainian family, it should be able to do it for Irish people as well. I know what is happening with the housing list in Kerry and I understand very well the number of people who are left behind. If people's earnings go over a threshold of €37,000, they are thrown off the housing list.

Another thing at stake here is our neutrality. I remember as a young fella hearing Éamon de Valera on the radio chastising Winston Churchill for trying to get us into the Second World War. He gave him his answer. We should keep that neutrality. I was disappointed when the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, said we are training Ukrainians to make soldiers out of them and we must stand with Ukrainians. We must maintain our neutrality whatever happens. We have no army. The Minister of State talked about us winning the war. Those were his words here. The Taoiseach said Russia must be made accountable. We cannot make it accountable.

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