Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle) | Oireachtas source

Your Excellency, President Zelenskyy, thank you for your strong and inspiring words to us this morning. We have much to digest as this painful, awful war on our Continent’s mainland continues apace. As Ukrainian people continue to die, we must act. What we have seen in recent days and the extent of the barbaric actions visited upon the people of Ukraine is simply horrendous. We need international courts to give a transparent and fair reckoning for the bloodshed in these heinous crimes.

Your Excellency, we salute your own personal bravery over the past weeks and we salute the outstanding bravery and resilience of the Ukrainian people in the face of unprovoked aggression. While Ireland is a militarily neutral country, we are not politically neutral. We do not stand idly by. We will not, as W.B. Yeats might have said, forsake the little streets hurled upon the great. We will continue to offer practical, on-the-ground support to our Ukrainian friends. We will also continue to welcome those forced to leave Ukraine seeking safety on foreign shores.

Mr. President, we Irish are aware of the pain of separation and the loss of our people to distant lands. At this challenging time, those forced to leave Ukraine are welcome here in Ireland and they will be supported and assisted until such time as they are free to return to rebuild their damaged homeland, an exercise we will help you with.Most of us here in this Chamber became involved in politics and public life because we trust in people and we believe that most people are fundamentally good. Last Tuesday at the Conference of Speakers of the European Union Parliaments in Ljubljana I called upon the 450 members of the Duma to shoulder their responsibility. The law of averages suggests that among the 450 members of that Parliament there must be people who can see through the lies, fake news, propaganda and manipulation. They must now find their courage - courage that the Ukrainian people demonstrate daily. They must speak up, speak out, take their courage and reject the leadership they currently have.

There are 143 million Russian people populating that country. Again, the law of averages tells us that many of those people must be fine, decent and honourable people who have a respect for human rights. President Zelenskyy, your people are being asked to show courage that goes beyond the bounds of human endurance. Please God, the people of Russia will now find their courage to also reject what is being done wrongly and devastatingly in their name.

In conclusion, Mr. President, thank you for honouring us and joining us today. We will continue to support our Ukrainian friends. Go gcoimeádfaidh Dia slán sibh uilig sna míonna agus sna blianta atá romhainn.