Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Shortly before I came in here today, I watched Leader's Questions in the Dáil. In particular I watched the debate on the proposed expulsion of a member of the Russian diplomatic community. I am shocked, to say the least, that we have decided to expel a diplomat from the Russian Embassy. To my memory, we have never engaged in anything to do with incidents that have happened in other countries. There seems to be an anti-Russian fest running through the western world at the moment. The Taoiseach said he would make available a briefing to party leaders, but we have to realise there are people in the Seanad and in the Dáil who are not in parties and who would be equally entitled to a briefing as to why we found it necessary to seek the expulsion of a Russian diplomat from this country. This country is a small, open economy. Trading with Russia is part and parcel of the trading in which this country engages. We should be very careful about anything we do to snub a country, particularly a country with the purchasing power of Russia.I would like to see what evidence there is to support the fact that Russians are engaged in espionage here. I would also like to see what evidence there is with respect to other embassies in this country and whether they are involved in any espionage.