Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I, too, join in expressing concern about the situation in Ukraine. It highlights the level of progress that has been made in Europe during the past 50 years when we consider that in the first 50 years of the previous century, 67 million people died in two world wars, the vast majority in Europe. One can travel from the Dingle Peninsula all the way to the Russian border without encountering any conflict and find that 500 million people are living in peace. We can criticise Europe but that shows the level of progress that has been made in a very short period.

In regard to the situation in Ukraine, Europe needs to plays a very important part in ensuring there will not be increased hostilities resulting in people being killed. I visited Georgia as part of an election observation mission in 2010 and I was struck by the fact that this country, which was at one stage part of the Russian Empire, is now totally isolated because it does not have access to the European market on one side or to the Russian market on the other side. It shows how a country, even if is very large and has huge potential, can become isolated if it does not have access to markets. Likewise, we may see something similar happen in Ukraine. Therefore, it is important that Europe influences what occurs here and ensures it is the road of peace rather than road of war.

I wish to raise another issue regarding the use of State assets. We have a huge problem in that many of our State assets are under-utilised, and I raised this matter recently at a meeting. In 2003 when I was Lord Mayor of Cork I was told that by Christmas 2003 there would be major plans for 17 acres of land belonging to Iarnród Éireann but now ten years on we are only seeing those come to light.