Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome former President, Mrs. Robinson. It is wonderful to have her here. Her words were inspiring and really direct. She has given us a powerful message here today.

I want to address a couple of points that were made. The first one arises from the last point of my colleague, Senator Higgins. How can it be, if we are serious about addressing climate change, that there are no targets relating to the EU military in terms of carbon emissions? There is none whatsoever, even as war rages in Ukraine, even as genocide rages in Gaza. The complete disconnect and denial of the impact of militarism and an increasing militarism across Europe has to be addressed without delay.

When we speak about the climate crisis we must be clear that we must confront global warming and the methods and alternatives we must use must be inclusive and democratic. What has been missing is a just transition commission. If we are going to build that support, rebuild that energy about which Mrs. Robinson spoke, then a just transition commission will be crucial in that endeavour. We know from research carried out by my trade union, SIPTU, that only four of the 44 provisional just transition projects actually reached any kind of decent level in terms of reaching out to workers and communities themselves. Just transition is not actually happening in real terms at the minute. It is the task of all of us to ensure that happens without further delay.

I am struck by the words of the UN General Secretary, António Guterres, who once said in relation to global warming, the poor and vulnerable are the first to suffer and the worst hit. We must be committed to a fairer and more democratic society, one which protects workers' rights and empowers communities with more input and control over their future. We cannot allow corporate interests to push false solutions and misleading definitions on us, dumping the costs of climate action onto the shoulders of ordinary communities, in the same way as they dump the cost of global warming and pollution.

I want to address a couple of other issues in the time I have. The first is the fact that Mrs. Robinson has called consistently for legal pathways for refugees and migrants to come to Europe. I salute her for doing that. It has become increasingly unpopular to do so. At the heart of any honest solution to the crisis that we have in terms of refugees is allowing them legal pathways to come to Europe. A related matter I hope to tackle in the Parliamentary Assembly at the Council of Europe is the disgraceful action of Frontex, the EU border control agency. It is rightly accused of sending at least 150,000 people to detention in Libya, where they are going to be subject to rape, torture and murder. Frontex has been accused of killing by omission, by withdrawing key services to actually save lives. It has also been accused of illegal pushbacks. Illegal pushbacks of the most vulnerable human beings have been well documented. I have not heard any conversations in this country about what needs to be done in relation to Frontex. It needs to be tackled. Frontex is an affront to the values of which we speak when we talk about the European Union.

Like others, I want to mention Gaza, Palestine and the genocide going on there. Again, I salute Mrs. Robinson for her courage in consistently speaking out on this issue. While I very much welcome the recognition of the State of Palestine, what we need are countries who will take a lead in real actions. The real actions I am talking about are passing the occupied territories Bill. It can be done. Belgium has already passed a similar Bill. The political will is lacking. I honestly cannot understand how, in the face of genocide, we cannot all agree and take that action now in terms of passing the occupied territories Bill, the divestments Bill and finally applying proper sanctions against the apartheid State of Israel. We can never be forgiven by history if we do not take those actions.

In the last minute or so I want to recognise one of the key things Mrs. Robinson did as president that perhaps has not gained the recognition it deserves. In 1993, before the IRA and Loyalist ceasefires, Mrs. Robinson decided to publicly visit the community of West Belfast and to greet its MP, Gerry Adams, and to shake his hand. This was the boldest of bold initiatives at the time, because Gerry Adams, president of my party, Sinn Féin, and the community of West Belfast had been demonised and marginalised by the British and Irish Governments. The opposition faced by her for the decision to visit was vociferous from the political and media establishment. The British Government arrogantly said that Ireland's President could not visit a part of Ireland, West Belfast, because she had not gone through the proper channels. When that failed to deter her, the British then refused to provide diplomatic security protection. The British Prime Minister, John Major, spoke to the Taoiseach, Albert Reynolds. Mrs. Robinson took her own counsel on the matter as she characteristically has done on other challenging issues such as Palestine and the climate crisis. She listened to people such as Inez McCormack who was in touch with women like Eileen Howell, the chairperson of the Falls Community Council. They knew that the President's visit would help, particularly the women of West Belfast and the North, who were carrying the burden of the conflict. They were the mothers of the children who were dying and going to prison. They had a vested interest in peace and hoped, with some justification, that a visit by Mrs. Robinson to West Belfast and a handshake with Gerry Adams was a good thing to do. It was an important initiative I do not believe has ever been given the proper recognition that it deserves. It sent a timely signal on the need to treat people with respect. It was also hugely popular throughout Ireland. It was a breach in the wall of exclusion which had been built around Sinn Féin by the establishment and encouraged other important gestures of peace which ultimately led to the peace that we all enjoy in Ireland today.