Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein)

I want to take the opportunity to condemn the Russian attack on Ukraine last night. The latest reports are that at least 20 people have been killed, including two children, in a Russian drone and missile attack on the western city of Ternopil that hit two blocks of flats. Another 66 people were injured, 16 of them were children, in one of the deadliest Russian attacks on western Ukraine since the full-scale war began in February 2022. Yesterday evening we had statements on Ukraine, in which I had the opportunity to outline in detail my views and position and those of my party on Ukraine. I will try to cover some other issues today. For the record, I want to reiterate Sinn Féin's solidarity with the people of Ukraine in the face of Russia's brutal invasion of their country and condemn the attacks we have seen in the past 48 hours.

The scenes we are seeing from Sudan, in particular EI Fasher, are horrifying and appalling. Tens of thousands of people are unaccounted for. We have seen huge numbers of civilian casualties as the RSF forces have gained control of the city and surrounding areas. I have been raising concerns for a number of months in the Dáil with the Tánaiste and the then Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Simon Harris, at the situation in El Fasher and Darfur, the inability to get humanitarian aid into the city and our concerns for the civilian population. This situation has since escalated very significantly and the world can no longer avert its eyes from what is happening in Sudan. Tens of thousands of people have reached safer places. However, tens of thousands of people are still unaccounted for in a city of about 100,000 people. There is huge concern as to their welfare. People were being cut down in the street and slaughtered in cold blood. This is one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world. More than a year and a half of siege warfare made this one of the most horrific places in the world and among the world's worst humanitarian crises.

The flow of weapons continues into Sudan in which the United Arab Emirates is complicit. There are credible reports that the United Arab Emirates is arming the RSF. The European Union has very strong connections and ties with the United Arab Emirates. The EU needs to step up and put pressure on the UAE to stop the flow of weapons into Sudan and to hold it to account for its complicity in this dreadful conflict.

On Palestine, we have just had a substantial debate on the Occupied Territories Bill. What we have witnessed in Gaza and in the West Bank is utterly horrifying. The widespread nature of severe malnutrition in Gaza and the effective starvation of much of the population, in particular children, has been nothing short of horrific, a living hell for the people of Gaza. It is worth highlighting once again that, unfortunately, at European Union level, we have seen how Ursula von der Leyen's unconditional and unqualified support for Benjamin Netanyahu at a pivotal point provided political cover for the genocidal destruction that followed. These partisan interventions have damaged the credibility of the EU. There is now a need for action. I welcome that more countries are now considering the suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement. That is the minimum the EU should be doing.

We are now at a point where the existence of the Palestinian people, in particular the ability to deliver an independent Palestine as part of a two-state solution, is very much at stake. There was much discussion in the Taoiseach's speech in regard to the two-state solution and the formulas of words that exist. However, we have had 20 years of formulas of words, positions, statements and so on, and all the while the West Bank has become nearly like Swiss cheese in terms of the extent to which it has been pock-marked by more settlements, undermining the viability of the West Bank to exist as a political entity. We now have a so-called ceasefire but dozens of people are still being killed. If we want to avoid further conflict and escalation in the future, there needs to be a stable and sustainable political solution. That has to mean a viable Palestinian entity and a pathway to self-determination for the Palestinian people.

In our view, actions such as enacting the occupied territories Bill remain necessary in terms of consistency with international law and of exerting maximum pressure on Israel to enter into and abide by political peace agreements. Spain and Slovenia have already taken the lead in this regard. The new Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Helen McEntee, needs to be proactive on this and, after years of delay, needs to follow the lead of these two EU member states.

In regard to the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from July to December 2026, this is a major opportunity for our country. It is an opportunity to promote Irish interests abroad, to improve our country, to make it a better place in which to live, work and to attract investment. It will also be an opportunity to raise key issues of Irish foreign policy, including the devastating cuts to overseas development aid. However, concerns have been raised in recent days among Irish and European military leaders in relation to Ireland’s ability to resource security operations during the upcoming EU Presidency. This is completely and utterly down to this Government and its predecessors in how they have completely neglected our Defence Forces. They have allowed the Defence Forces to become depleted. It is an absolute disgrace that the Government has left us in this vulnerable position and that events around the EU Presidency could be exposed due to a lack of capability, particularly in relation to tackling drones but also our ability to monitor and police our own waters. The reality that we still do not have a full radar picture is an indictment of successive governments.

This argument should not only apply to the EU Presidency. The neglect of our Defence Forces over the years has resulted in our not being able to police our waters and our skies and being seen as a soft touch for major international drug cartels. In Sinn Féin's view, an Irish Government should be strong on neutrality and strong on defence. This Government is strong on neither of those. We have had the embarrassing situation where ships have been put to sea with no functioning main gun because of a lack of specialist staff to deliver that. Our Defence Forces are effectively at rock bottom in terms of morale and seriously struggling in terms of recruitment and retention.

I hope the new Minister for foreign affairs and defence takes a proactive role in that without any further delay.

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