Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I note that this week marks the centenary of bilateral diplomatic relations between Ireland and the United States. It is fitting that the Taoiseach is meeting with President Biden. It was a for a new State when the United States recognised Ireland and established those diplomatic relations. It was important. Our relationship has had its ups and downs, but the United States and Ireland have always been very strong friends. It is something that is right of us to celebrate. We think of the many people of Ireland who have travelled to the United States and made lives and established businesses there. We think of our own friendships and the trade links between Ireland and the United States. While the United States is the largest foreign direct investor in Ireland, it is also worth pointing out that Ireland is now the seventh largest foreign director in the United States. Those connections have been long and they are strong. We stand on the global stage for the same values, namely, democracy, the rule of law and liberty. The good thing about it is if we have disagreements among friends, we can express those views but on many issues the United States and Ireland have always stood strong. It is right that we celebrate and mark the centenary of those relations.

I appreciate there has been much discussion in this House about Russia this week.Yesterday, in the European Parliament, there was a vote on Russian interference in Moldova. Again, we know about Russia's attempts to interfere in the political activities of democratic states in Europe. When a motion to address and condemn Russia's interference in Moldova was put to the European Parliament, unsurprisingly, members of the hard-left groups, including Sinn Féin, abstained. Again and again in this country, we see hard-left parties, including Sinn Féin, continuously adopt pro-Russian positions and they fail to call it out. As a country, we continue to stand for democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and we oppose Putin’s Russia.