Seanad debates
Tuesday, 14 October 2025
Support for Ukraine: Motion
2:00 am
Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Ukrainian ambassador to this debate. I also welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, and the staff from the Department. I understand Senator O'Loughlin is sharing time with Senator Paul Daly.
Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I move:
That Seanad Éireann:
agrees that: - in February 2022, Russia - a founding member of the United Nations (UN) and a permanent member of its Security Council - launched a full-scale, illegal invasion of Ukraine, in defiance of international law, and in defiance of the UN Charter;
- Russia has prosecuted the war with a wilful and reckless indifference to its human consequences;
- tens of thousands of Ukrainians have been killed and maimed, millions have been forced to flee their homeland and millions more have been internally displaced;
- Russia has deliberately and cynically targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure;
- Russia has caused immense environmental devastation;
- cities such as Mariupol, Kharkiv and Bakhmut have been bombed to rubble;
- Ukrainian prisoners have been mistreated by Russia;
- Ukrainian children have been abducted by Russia; recognises that: - President Putin has frustrated every attempt to bring about a ceasefire and negotiations, including those led by the President of the United States;
- there are no signs whatsoever that President Putin is ready for peace;
- President Putin has refused to meet President Zelenskyy and has again intensified Russia’s attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine;
- Russia has engaged in a reckless pattern of incursions and interference in European Union (EU) States;
- Russia has violated the airspace of several countries, including Denmark, Poland and Estonia; acknowledges that: - Ireland, as part of the Coalition of the Willing in support of Ukraine, will stand with them, shoulder-to-shoulder, for as long as it takes;
- if Russia chooses not to come to the table, the world must increase economic and political pressure on it until it does;
- with our EU and international partners, we will strengthen and tighten our sanctions;
- Ukraine is part of the European family and that its future lies within the EU; and calls for: - the EU to maintain its efforts to strengthen our economic and political support for Ukraine;
- a focus on achieving a just and lasting peace for Ukraine;
- increased pressure on Russia to agree to a ceasefire and meaningful negotiations, including by stepping up sanctions and other economic measures;
- security guarantees that Ukraine needs to underpin any future peace agreement;
- EU membership for Ukraine as part of a comprehensive set of security guarantees;
- the unblocking and acceleration of Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations.
We are accepting the two amendments to the motion.
I add my voice of welcome to Ambassador Larysa Gerasko. I also welcome our guests in the Gallery. I hope they enjoy the debate. I thank the Minister of State for being here. I know he was in London last night with the British-Irish Parliamentary Association, BIPA, and he gave a good and comprehensive report about how we do not go back to conflict. The two subjects are not totally removed from one another. We have learned a lot in our quest for peace. We now have to help support the people of Ukraine in their quest for peace and for a peaceful existence. As the ambassador said earlier at the foreign affairs committee, it is not just about a ceasefire; it is about a permanent peace so people can go about their lives and live in the normal way that we all take for granted, but which the people of Ukraine cannot take for granted.
Today marks 1,329 days since Russia launched its full-scale invasion and war of aggression against Ukraine. As the people of Ukraine continue to endure relentless and brutal bombardment by Russia, it is absolutely vital and more important than ever that the European Union, including Ireland, keep up its efforts to strengthen our economic and political support for Ukraine. As I mentioned, our focus has to remain on achieving a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. It is, therefore, hugely important to increase pressure on Russia to agree to meaningful negotiations, including by stepping up sanctions and other economic measures. EU membership for Ukraine must be part of a comprehensive set of security guarantees. The Taoiseach is continuing to push for the unblocking and acceleration of Ukraine's accession negotiations, and I know the Tánaiste is too. Ukraine is doing a lot of hard work on reforms, but the EU must also play its part.
The ongoing onslaught against Ukraine and the violation of the territory of EU member states in recent weeks underline the serious threat posed by Russia to our collective security. That is not taken seriously by some, including some Members of the Oireachtas. We have to call that out. Russia could, and should, end its brutal war at any moment. It has to halt its attacks, accept an unconditional ceasefire and come to the negotiating table. It has shown no sign of doing that. Instead, Russia has intensified its air attacks against Ukraine's towns and cities, deliberately targeting civilians and essential infrastructure. That is something I witnessed two weeks ago when I went to Kyiv for approximately 36 hours. For me, it was important that I go. It was an EU delegation led by the Danish Presidency. There were approximately eight of us on it. It was really important to show solidarity and bear witness to what is happening. What I saw and experienced will genuinely never leave me.
The chair of the Ukrainian Parliament's European integration committee, Ivanna Klympush, was our host. She was the former minister for EU integration. There is nothing like hearing, and seeing, as witnesses in the place where this is happening. It was moving to lay flowers at a tribute to those from the Ukrainian Parliament, the Rada. Both elected members and staff members have died, and we had the opportunity to pay our respects to them. We then went to the centre of Kyiv, where there is a photo montage of all of those who have died. You can imagine the thousands upon thousands of photos. While we were there lighting candles, families, friends and neighbours came up to pay their respects, and there was a pall of sadness and uncertainty because we do not know how long that wall is going to get, and families do not know how many more of their family members will have to go to place a candle and another photograph there.
While we were there, we went to Bucha where we saw the grave of 500 undocumented people, a mass grave of people who were just thrown into it. The Ukrainians have since opened the grave and taken the bodies. They are still not all identified, but they have now been buried according to their own religion and tradition. To think that this only happened three years ago.We went to the town of Moshchun and saw a large stone inscribed with "2022" and I was reminded that it was just three years ago that 189 young people were murdered there trying to defend their town. That happened just after the invasion, when the Russians thought this was going to be over in a week and they could march into Kyiv having taken over the land of Ukraine.
We went to see a power plant that was bombed. This power plant provided all the energy for the large town of Ukrainka. That was destroyed and then destroyed again two weeks after it was rebuilt. In the last two days, the attacks on energy plants have escalated and we now know that the railways have been attacked. The railway system is the only way to bring in supplies, including food, as well as international delegations such as ours to be able to bear witness. That is incredibly disturbing.
I want to briefly mention what the ambassador said today at the foreign affairs committee. It is important to give testament. Unfortunately, the ambassador cannot speak here today but I want to speak on her behalf and on behalf of all Ukrainians. The ambassador correctly said to us:
This is the largest and most brutal war Europe has witnessed in generations. Its consequences extend far beyond Ukraine [we have seen evidence of that in Poland, the Netherlands and Denmark recently], threatening global security and undermining the rules-based international order.
Over the past month, the intensity of Russian aggression has escalated.
When we were in Kyiv it was very disturbing to hear a briefing from the ministry for defence that its intelligence knows that Russia is now making 1,000 drones every day. If it is making 1,000 drones every day, it intends to use those drones every single day. The night I was in Kyiv, most of which was spent in a bomb shelter, four people were killed, including a 12-year-old girl, two very close to the hotel we were in. We went there the next morning. It was really shocking and sad. The authorities in Kyiv had already been there and had started making sure the place was safe. They brought counsellors for all the families. They were just sitting out on the grass talking about how they deal with yet another child killed.
Two people were killed that night in the cardiac unit in the hospital in Kyiv. Again, hospitals are being targeted, which is absolutely shocking. It is not just military installations that are being targeted. It is the energy grid, the hospitals, schools and homes. It is not simply warfare. It is calculated, deliberate and nearly industrial-scale cruelty and terror. Russia generally strikes under the cover of night.
Anyone who goes to Ukraine is advised to download an app which tells people when the area they are in is in danger. I cannot delete the app from my phone. I look at it every day to see the places under pressure in Ukraine and particularly the areas I visited. Most upsetting of all is that when people have died because of an attack, a little reminder comes up to stop and give a moment of peace for those who have died overnight in Ukraine. That happened the night I was there and it has happened practically every night since.
It is unbearable to think how people are living their lives. I commend the people I met in Ukraine on their resilience, bravery and courage in how they try to live their lives as normally as possible. They are very concerned about many things. Obviously, they want to live their lives as normal, but they are very concerned about losing a generation, the generation of young people who left when the war started. They are now starting school and college in Ireland and in other places. Ukrainians are afraid that they will never get back that lost generation. They are very concerned about those areas around Mariupol where Russia has now taken over territory. People are not allowed to speak their own language. They cannot attend a Ukrainian school. Everything has changed for them.
There is much more I could say. I appreciate that my colleague Senator Daly has his own sense of this and wants to put his own words to this motion, which is very important. I thank my party for agreeing to bring it forward. I thank others, including our coalition partners, for supporting it. At the start, I said that Senator Stephenson had tabled two amendments which we are accepting. They will be in the body of the motion to be put to the House and hopefully will be passed.
Paul Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I second the motion. I thank our leader, Senator O'Loughlin, and everybody involved in putting the motion together. On 26 February 2022, my father died, four days after the outbreak of the current part of this war because that was not the start of this war, as we have to acknowledge. It has been a lifetime for me since that personal loss on 26 February 2022. I can only imagine what it has been like for the people who suffer attack every day and every night, and have also lost loved ones. It is an eternity. It is no way for any human being to have to live.
I welcome the ambassador. In recent deliberations with the foreign affairs committee, she said that Russia is not winning and Ukraine is not losing. That is stalemate in anyone's language. I am concerned about the media commentary over recent days. On his way to play a major part in a resolution to the crisis in the Middle East, President Trump flippantly said that America might send Tomahawk missiles, to which the response was, "Well, we can respond with nuclear." That is the stalemate we have reached. That is why it is so important to get everybody around the table. Russia is refusing to engage in any meaningful peace process. The only way to get Russia to the table is through further sanctions. I know the coalition of the willing is playing a very big and important role in this, but it is not enough if it is not having results. In any walk of life people can do no more than try their best but if it does not achieve what they set out to achieve, it is ultimately a failure. We need to revisit the sanctions and get Putin to the table because it is at the table that this will eventually be resolved.
Drones and illegal aircraft are flying over European airspace. The EU was formed post the Second World War. This is as close as we have ever been to a similar crisis since that war ended in 1945. As people here know, I am a farmer. My input costs are affected because of the war. It is affecting us all. That seems totally insignificant when we are talking about lives but it is important.
I thank those who put this motion together. It is important to keep this issue to the fore. It is hard to say this correctly because all war is wrong and all life is important. A Ukrainian life is no more important than that of a Palestinian or an Israeli, but because of what was going on elsewhere, the Ukrainian situation was somewhat in the background in the media. It is very important that we highlight it and bring it to the fore again this evening. If we achieve nothing else by this motion, we need to get this issue back as the headline. That is what puts pressure on the ultimate powers that be - if it is on the front page, if it is the headline and if it is the first thing on the lips of every human being. That is what makes people act. We want to get that back to the forefront of conversation. We want to get everybody concerned around the table to thrash out and implement a ceasefire, with a workable peace process going forward from there.
Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for being here. I rise to support the motion. As Senators O'Loughlin and Daly mentioned, there is a lot going on in the world at the moment, and often Ukraine is not mentioned and is forgotten about because the war has been going on for so long. We are rising to support the motion, however, affirming Ireland’s unwavering solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
I was asked by the Ceann Comhairle a number of months ago to be the convener of the Ukraine-Ireland parliamentary group, and I was honoured to do so. Last month I, like Senator O'Loughlin, had the honour of visiting Kyiv. It is an amazing city. Even the journey to get there was difficult but, when I arrived, I saw a country and a city that has endured unimaginable hardship, yet one could see the resilience and conviction of the people there. I had a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and that man embodies the resilience and the leadership of a country that is under siege. I was privileged also to meet the Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, the Speaker, Ruslan Stefanchuk, and members of the opposition, including Ivanna, whose second name I will not try to pronounce. They are amazing people. I was brought into the Parliament and, as Senator O’Loughlin said, we used an app that showed us when drones were about to hit. I thought that as we had former general Keith Kellogg with us we were fairly safe, but he flew home and, within 48 hours, the building we were in was bombed. It is a real situation and it is affecting the lives of so many people.
I compliment Her Excellency Ms Larysa Gerasko on the leadership she has shown in keeping the war to the fore of Irish people's minds. We compliment her on all she has done regarding the relationship between Ukraine and Ireland, and on behalf of Ukrainians in Ireland. I also want to compliment our own ambassador in Kyiv, Mr. Jonathan Conlon. He is an amazing diplomat, an outstanding man and a wonderful representative for Ireland over there in such difficult times.
What struck me in Ukraine was that they have strategic clarity that their future lies within the European Union. Their belief is that democracy, even when it is bombed and bloodied, must never surrender. When I, like Senator O’Loughlin, stood in Independence Square, I saw the flags, flowers and memorials and the faces of the fallen. I took different photographs. The Irish Times published a photo I took in Kyiv, and a mother in Newbridge got in touch with me. I had taken a photo of her son's memorial. His name was Robert Deegan and he gave his life in defence of Ukrainian freedom. He was from Newbridge, County Kildare. This story brought home to me how close defending the borders of Europe is to us, including for people from Newbridge.
I witnessed the devastation first-hand. I witnessed the shattered buildings and bombed streets, but I saw that Ukrainian resolve is second to none. They are a strong people and, since March 2022, Ireland has stood with them. As chair of an organisation called Tiglin, we welcomed over 150 Ukrainian guests on St. Patrick's Day in 2022. I remember their faces coming in that day. One of the first to arrive was a young guy called Rodion Kudryk, who has cerebral palsy. When he was fleeing the war, he had to leave his wheelchair behind, so he was literally carried to Ireland. When he arrived with us in Tiglin, he had a bright smile. Today he was my guest in Leinster House for lunch. He was here in his new electric wheelchair and complained about some of the lifts in Leinster House but, otherwise, he was very happy to be here. I am delighted he was here. Not only that, many of my Ukrainian friends are in the Gallery. They are guests of mine in Greystones. These are people who have made their lives here in the most difficult of circumstances after having to flee home.
Ireland has, through humanitarian aid, diplomatic advocacy and the tireless work of the ambassador, managed to do a lot to try to make a difference, and that is why this motion is so important. It affirms what we already know is true - that Russia's illegal invasion is a crime against international law and humanity. The world must continue to put pressure on Russia through sanctions and isolation until this aggression and war ends. Ukraine's rightful place is within the European family. That is protected by the security guarantees of peace, democracy and membership of the EU. Though Ireland might be a small nation, our moral voice is not small, and we have seen that lately, even through what happened in the Middle East. Our neutrality must not be indifferent and I do not believe it is. It has to be an active commitment to peace and justice, and justice in this situation demands that we stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine until the last missile falls. When I was in Independence Square in Kyiv, I was reminded that, as one memorial read, freedom is our religion. We need to make sure Ireland continues to stand on the side of that freedom, and not just in word, but in action.
Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber, his old home. I thank my Fianna Fáil colleagues for tabling this very important motion. Obviously, we in Fine Gael support it.
As Senator O’Loughlin mentioned, we had a very good and productive meeting with the Ukrainian ambassador here in Ireland that finished about an hour ago. I welcome her and thank her for all of the work she does on behalf of Ukrainian citizens in Ireland, and for keeping us informed on what we can do to help. It is lovely to see some Ukrainian friends in the Gallery, particularly those of a very young age. Oftentimes I hear Ukrainian people thank Irish people for welcoming them in, but we want to thank them for the positive contribution they have made to Irish society, and in particular to young people. I have a child in senior infants in a tiny school in a small village in the countryside. He has friends who are Ukrainian. They go to school and integrate. It is brilliant for his development as a young child to understand that the world is bigger than Ireland and that people who come from different diversities and backgrounds can become friends. We actually have a couple of Ukrainian kids who we think could be good GAA players as well. They are integrating very well at a young age.
Other speakers spoke about their visits to Ukraine and their personal experiences there. As Leas-Chathaoirleach of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, I was there a couple of months ago. I have seen quite a substantial change in the past three years. My first visit to Kyiv was in April 2022, just two months after the war started. We were the first delegation of European parliamentarians to visit and stay overnight. At that time, the city was absolutely empty. There was nothing happening; there was no life. It was very clear we were in a war zone. I spoke about this at the committee today. The second time I visited was in August of that year, maybe five or six months into the war, and the rebuilding of the country had already started. The first time I went to Bucha, the bridge had been bombed. To travel to Bucha one had to go around the bridge and down a dirt track. I came back six months later and the bridge was built again and you could travel out. The point is that while this war has been going on for the past three years, the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian Government have consistently tried to rebuild the country to build back that confidence with the Ukrainian people. On my last visit to Ukraine, for all the world Kyiv looked like a normal city, as Senator O’Loughlin and others would agree. Restaurants and coffee shops are open and people are going to work. If you did not know any better, you would think everything is fine, but that is just not the case. As other Senators have mentioned, there is an app that sets sirens off to let people know a missile is coming within the next five minutes and everyone needs to go to a bunker or the underground metro network to try to find shelter.People ask all the time why it is looking like it is a functional city. As would happen in any country, the reason is people at some point have to try to get on with their lives and live their lives. The only way to feel some way normal is trying to get up in the morning, go to work and give their children an education, but in the back of their minds, they know of the possibility of sirens going off. The frustrating part of it is that, from my experience, most of these sirens are going off at night-time. This impacts on sleeping and the daily lives of Ukrainian people who are trying to live a normal life. When we talk about rebuilding the country, that is where Ireland can play a role. We have had a number of companies already that have invested in Ukraine. As the ambassador said earlier, Ukraine is open for business, and it is open for investment. That is where we should be looking at the moment.
When I was there, Deputy Barry Ward and I had a one-hour meeting with President Zelenskyy. We discussed many issues. One of the points I wish to put to the Minister of State is that, in terms of rebuilding, every country can play its role. The first deputy minister for development of communities and territory development, Ms Aliona Shkrum, is writing to all departments of foreign affairs in the EU asking that each country appoint an envoy to Ukraine. Ten of the 17 countries have done that. The UK has done it. The Labour MP for Leeds, Mr. Alex Sobel, has been appointed as an envoy. The thing they have experienced in the past six months is that having an envoy on behalf of a country speeds up the process of companies coming in to invest, develop and rebuild Ukraine. We cannot rely on Ministers. The Minister of State is busy, the Tánaiste is busy and there are a lot of things that have been done, but if we appoint someone with the responsibility of helping the rebuilding of Ukraine from Ireland, we can speed up that process and help our friends abroad.
Maria McCormack (Sinn Fein)
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I wish to give a special mention to the Ukrainian choir that has been set up locally in Portlaoise. It is fantastic and brings so much love and light to our community. Like other Senators have said, with the mixture in our schools and so on, it has been such a positive experience for us. For all the Ukrainians coming over here, it is at a time when they are in dire distress, but they can bring so much light to our communities. However, it is our job as a neutral country to protect where we can. I welcome the ambassador to the House.
Since February 2022, Russia has been inflicting death and destruction on Ukrainian people on an immense scale, resulting in the mass displacement of millions of people, widespread human rights abuses and the clear attempt by Russia to expand its own territory at the power and expense of its neighbours. I commend Fianna Fáil for bringing forward this motion and the amendments by Senators Stephenson and Higgins.
We extend our solidarity to the people of Ukraine who have endured the most horrific three and a half years imaginable and who have faced this invasion with tremendous resolve and courage. Hundreds of thousands of people, including many women and children, have been killed. Ukraine's infrastructure and economy have been devastated. Russia's attacks on the civilian population, as well on medical facilities and electrical infrastructure, are nothing short of war crimes and have to be condemned in the strongest way possible. It has been horrific in every sense of the word as we have looked on. Putin's invasion cannot be defended. This conflict urgently needs to come to an end, with countless lives being destroyed every day this war continues.
All parties involved, including the European Union and the United States, have crucial roles to play in bringing an end to this conflict by putting the lives and well-being of the people above their own narrow geopolitical interests. Ireland has rightly supported the Ukrainian people amid the crisis caused by Russia's illegal invasion and should continue to use our neutral position to call for a sustainable, permanent and just outcome to this war through a negotiated peace settlement. Our status as a neutral country is a valuable tool in supporting the peace process in Ukraine while providing us with an opportunity to identify breaches in international law, occupation, annexation and military aggression where they exist. We should be investing our energies and resources in conflict resolution rather than conflict participation.
Ireland must remain militarily unaligned, but that does not mean that we are morally neutral or afraid to take action to punish Russia for its illegal actions. We should be taking actions in response to clear breaches of international law. Ireland can and should be advocating for economic and diplomatic sanctions and working to facilitate peace talks. Peace will, hopefully, be delivered before too long although when and on what terms we do not know yet. However, there will undoubtedly be a need to support the Ukrainian people further in rebuilding their country and repairing the damage of the Russian invasion. Thousands of Ukrainian people have come to call Ireland home and very many will want to return home once a sustainable and just peace is achieved. Ireland has supported the Ukrainian people in the wake of this invasion. This solidarity should continue until Ukraine is restored as a stable, prosperous and peaceful country.
Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)
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I move amendment No. 1:
After “recognises that:” to insert the following paragraph: “- Ireland has a role as a historic leader in peace, with our credibility as peace leaders grounded in Ireland’s neutrality;"
Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming in. I acknowledge the ambassador and deputy ambassador and thank them for coming to the foreign affairs committee today, and to the Ukrainians we have visiting the Chamber.
I reaffirm my commitment, our commitment as a Chamber and our solidarity with the Ukrainian people who have suffered horrendous conditions and human rights abuses for the past three years from Russia's illegal invasion. We have already heard it this evening but it bears repeating that the Ukrainian people have demonstrated a huge amount of resilience and courage in defending their country against Russia's invasion. The civilian population has endured constant danger and uncertainty and drone and missile strikes in residential areas far away from the front lines. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine estimates that over 14,000 civilians have been killed - that could be much higher now - and over 37,000 people injured since the invasion started. I cannot imagine the pain and suffering for the communities and families who have lost loved ones and, indeed, the trauma that will exist for generations.
As a country deeply committed to international law and peace, it is vital that we call out instances when the principles underpinning global peace and security are blatantly violated. This motion rightly condemns Russia’s actions and acknowledges the tremendous human cost of war. It also correctly lays out some of the necessary steps towards achieving a lasting peace in Ukraine, including exerting economic pressure on Russia to bring it to the negotiating table. Ireland can and should contribute to supporting Ukraine both unilaterally and as a member of the EU. I have concerns when it comes to Ireland's role in the coalition of the willing. I am sure the Minister of State will speak to that a little bit more in his statement. The coalition of the willing, a group whose name echoes another illegal invasion from two decades ago, the Iraq war, does not necessarily align with Ireland's position on neutrality. I am sure the Minister of State will explain a bit further, but as far as I understand, it is predominantly a military alliance. I am not sure if that is in Ireland's best interest, given our position of neutrality.
Our tradition of neutrality requires us to work through international institutions rather than through split regional blocs that may require Ireland to commit peacekeeping troops outside of the United Nations mechanism. This is our current legislative context. Whether that changes in the future, it is currently where we are. My amendment is about recognising Ireland's role as historic leaders in peace because the foundation of that leadership is our neutrality. It allows Ireland to stand as honest brokers and peacebuilders in whatever the peace process may be and the wider post-conflict future for Ukraine. We mentioned to the ambassador earlier that that feels like a very far off reality for the Ukrainian people.
I welcome the collaboration with the Fianna Fáil Senators. I thank them for accepting my amendments. Peace may seem far out of reach, as Russia ramped up its attacks last week. It is impossible to imagine that context when peace is an option.We need to look at what we can do for strengthening Ukrainian civil society and local organisations when it comes to the table. That is also about looking to provide supports to alleviate the various issues conflict can leave and the scars the conflict can have on communities. They are long-lasting scars, and we know that from our own history. I do not really want to draw huge parallels between the North and Ukraine because the scale of it is completely off the Richter charts. It is incredibly different.
We know that conflict permeates all levels of society. For peace to be sustained and for it to be just, it needs to come from the bottom up as well as the high level negotiations and summits. In fact, regardless of the facts of bottom-up or top-down, we have seen the Ukrainian Government even excluded from international talks about peace agreements and ceasefires. It baffles me that we could ever have any negotiations on peace without the Ukrainian Government present.
A study by UN Women found that peace agreements are 64% less likely to fail when civil society representatives participate and, therefore, the voices of ordinary people in peace agreements are crucial for sustained peace. We know in the North that creating the conditions for peace and assisting communities in healing from the trauma of conflict is a really important step to play. I would love to see further steps - I know the Government has done this - supporting local Ukrainian organisations, encouraging collaborations with our own organisations here and in the North, where we can share experiences and provide support, looking at the inclusion of Ukrainian voices in the peace process.
I would also like to touch on the treatment of journalists in Russian detention, including Victoria Roshchyna, who was murdered. Her corpse was brutally returned to her family, which was a calculated effort of terror by the Russian regime. Journalists are really important. They provide light in those dark spaces where regimes try to hide what they are doing. Aggressors prefer to do those things in the dark and the treatment of Ukrainian journalists in Russian detention is something worth noting. Perhaps there is support the Irish Government can give with regard to targeting media houses and sustaining journalism and journalists when they are under targeted attack by the Russian regime.
As an EU member state for over 50 years, we need to offer support to Ukrainian state institutions in meeting the EU's accession criteria so that, when the time comes for Ukraine to join the EU, whether as part of a peace deal or later on, the transition can be seamless and Ukraine can stand as an equal member with fully functioning institutions, strong rule of law and a vibrant democracy. That is what we all want.
I will conclude by standing in support. Ireland stands firmly with the people of Ukraine while remaining true to our principles of peace and neutrality. I also offer my support to the robust sanctions regime and for looking at other practical steps we might be able to take. Senator Ahearn talked about the importance of reconstruction. We also heard from Ukrainian ambassador earlier about critical energy infrastructure being systematically targeted, with people now looking to a long winter with attacks on energy, and what more can Ireland do in that space to help the rebuilding.
Michael McDowell (Independent)
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I thank the Fianna Fáil Members for tabling this important motion. Those of us in the Seanad Independent Group had put down a similar motion, which was much less elaborate, on 22 September to the same effect. I thank those Members who have also tabled amendments to the motion.
It is important that this House speaks frequently on this subject. While you can illuminate the outside of the Houses of the Oireachtas with Ukrainian colours, there is a sense that events in the Middle East have dwarfed the Ukrainian struggle. Figures have been given here for the number of civilians who have died in the Ukrainian conflict and the invasion by Russia. I know there are reasons we do not get accurate figures for the amount of military casualties on both sides, but not only have there been many brave Ukrainians who have died for the preservation of their country, but I would say that more than 100,000 or maybe 200,000 Russians have been driven into this conflict by Vladimir Putin and have died as well. The extent of this tragedy in Europe is almost incalculable and very hard to grasp.
Mention has been made of Ukrainians playing an important part in Irish life since they came here seeking refuge. I mention Ms Zoriana Drul in our own Seanad Office, who is working to keep this establishment functioning. The extent of integration is everywhere. People ask what Ireland is actually doing, and non-lethal assistance to the Ukrainian military has been furnished. It is probably small in the larger dimension of that military struggle, but the Irish people have extended to Ukrainians very significant financial support. The Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, recently revealed that over €1 billion per year is spent on housing Ukrainian people seeking refuge in Ireland. It is a lot of money for a country of our size.
I note and fully understand how the Fianna Fáil motion does not refer to America, but I want to say one thing. Whatever Donald Trump achieved in Gaza, and we do not know what he has achieved in Gaza or how long it will take for peace to come there, he has the capacity to end the war in Ukraine. Without being recriminatory and being positive as far as I can, my mind cannot exclude the scene when President Zelenskyy was brought to the Oval Office and humiliated there by President Trump, Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Rubio. It was a disgraceful scene. I am glad that, in the unpredictable policy formulation that seems to grip Washington, at least a different attitude is now being demonstrated, but there can be more. Europe should get real backing from America in its contemplation of the seizure and application to Ukrainian reconstruction of frozen Russian assets.
American behind-the-scenes negotiations with Belarus, and even the First Lady's personal initiative in regard to children who have been abducted, show an ambivalence with regard to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I hope that somebody in the American embassy in Deerfield or Ballsbridge listens to what is said in this House. I want to put it on the record: America must now do something. If you want Nobel prizes for peace and to parade the world as bringing peace to the Middle East, you can stop the war in Ukraine if you are determined so to do. The message should come back from these Houses via American diplomats that we expect America to do more to bring this horrific struggle to an end. American ambivalence has been problematic. We have had the extraordinary situation that Russia, China, North Korea and India were all participating in military manoeuvres in Belarus only very recently. The attitude of the Trump regime has created an international alliance against America, at one level, but against Ukraine in particular.
We are also censored in what we actually see. Our media, very kindly and very properly, perhaps, does not show what happens when a bomb hits a railway station, and very rightly.I have seen stuff in videos which turned my stomach, including videos of the execution of Ukrainian prisoners by Russians who were machine gunned into graves. Those kinds of things can never be forgotten. The House must keep returning to this matter. We must keep banging the drum in order that from Deerfield, where the United States ambassador resides, and Ballsbridge, where the United States embassy is located, the message goes clearly back to America that we want it to stop this war and that it can do so.
Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I sincerely thank the proposer and seconder for tabling this motion and Senators for engaging constructively with the amendments. I join in the welcome to our dear friend the Ukrainian ambassador, Larysa, and our friends from Tiglin in Greystones and beyond in the Gallery. They are welcome, not just Leinster House, the people's house, but also to Ireland for however long they need to be here.
It is over three years since Russia's unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine brought large-scale conflict back to the Continent of Europe. As has been noted, this was not the creation of a new war. It was merely the latest invasion of Ukrainian territory by Russia in modern times. We have to be absolutely unequivocal that the blame for this conflict lies with Russia. The decision to invade Ukraine came from the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. Let us not lose ourselves in conspiracy theories, whataboutery or bringing up concerns about other powers. The issue here lies with Russia. There can be no whataboutery. Since those days over three years ago, indescribable suffering has been inflicted upon the people of Ukraine. Millions have been forced to flee their homeland and millions more have been internally displaced. Hundreds of thousands have been killed, with thousands more, including children, forcibly removed, tortured or arbitrarily imprisoned by Russian forces.
We are at a critical moment in the trajectory of Russia's war in Ukraine. Russia is escalating its aerial bombardment on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure while its forces continue their offensive along the front line unabated, seeking additional territorial gains. Civilians continue to bear the brunt of Russia's brutal war of aggression. Russia's full-scale invasion triggered the largest displacement crisis in Europe in decades, with millions displaced and in need of continued, lifesaving support. We have heard horrific reports of gross and systematic violations of human rights by Russia. We consistently see reports of the very means of life, namely food and energy supplies, being targeted by Russian forces. One of Russia's most brutal and egregious crimes has been the large-scale forcible kidnapping of Ukrainian children from their homes. Any peaceful resolution to Russia's war must involve the return of all forcibly transferred persons, particularly children. Such actions may amount to war crimes. We must work to hold those responsible to account.
At the same time, Russia's increasingly provocative and reckless behaviour against EU member states is justifiably raising concerns and tensions across Europe. In recent weeks, Russian drones have breached the airspace of fellow EU member states, and fighter planes have violated the skies over Estonia. The Government has strongly condemned these activities. We have seen disruption to critical infrastructure, airports and logistics hubs paralysed by cyberattacks and elections targeted by malign influence campaigns.
In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, all EU member states, including Ireland, have re-examined their foreign, security and defence policies. It is perhaps easy to look eastward and believe that the fires of war burning in Ukraine will never reach our shores, that distance is somehow a protection, but it is an illusion to believe that we are immune from this pattern of growing threats. Our commitment to a values-based foreign policy, to multilateralism and to a policy, clearly, of military neutrality does not insulate us from the impacts of a rapidly changing and volatile international security environment that has become the new reality across Europe. Distance does not protect us from the campaign of hybrid activity that Russia has unleashed against European countries, which has increased in scale and recklessness in the past year. It is our duty and our obligation to take our security and our responsibility towards our like-minded partners more seriously than ever. That obligation and duty in no way contravenes our clear policy of military neutrality. It is merely common sense.
Through its sustained pursuit of hybrid campaigns, Russia is a major threat to stability, democracy and social cohesion throughout Europe and beyond. These activities represent an attempt to divide EU member states, particularly in relation to support for Ukraine. The proposer and seconder of these motions, Senators O'Loughlin and Daly, are, like me, sanctioned by the Russian war machine and Vladimir Putin. I had not intended to visit Moscow any time soon. I certainly do not intend to do so now. I wear that sanction as a badge of pride, as I know my senatorial colleagues do too. The Government takes the risks posed by these activities very seriously, and we are responding. We support the full use of all means available to prevent, deter and respond to Russia's aggressive hybrid activities, including through sanctions.
Domestically, the Government is implementing a range of relevant measures at national level to strengthen our resilience and combat hybrid threats from state and non-state actors, including Russia, its proxies and aligned actors. Such measures include a substantial increase in investment in the National Cyber Security Centre, the publication of a national counter disinformation strategy and legislation to enhance election security through the Electoral Commission, the commencement of legislation on third-country investment screening and the control of exports. The Department of Defence will publish Ireland's first national maritime security strategy by the end of the year. We are also building up Ireland's national capability to identify, mitigate and counter hybrid threats through our membership of the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats in Helsinki.
The European Union has been steadfast in its solidarity with Ukraine since the first day of this terrible war. The message is clear: Russia has to understand that Ukraine's partners, including its European partners, have the will and the means to continue supporting it until a just and lasting peace is achieved. Ireland will be part of a coalition of the willing. We will ensure, Senator Stephenson, that our participation is fully aligned with our policy of military neutrality, but at this time we have to show that we are willing to stand not just by the people of Ukraine in our words but also in our actions. The EU's continuing commitment to Ukraine will also be a key focus when European leaders meet again formally on 23 and 24 October. This will be an important moment for the EU to reiterate its commitment to stay the course in support of Ukraine and to maintain pressure on Russia to halt its war of aggression and engage in real negotiations.
Measures in this regard include the adoption of unprecedented sanctions. The latter include a broad range of sectoral sanctions, including measures targeting Russia's military, technology, transport and energy sectors. These sanctions are having an impact by limiting access to battlefield goods and reducing Russia's access. It is with pride that Ireland's David O'Sullivan is the main European official who monitors the effectiveness of these sanctions. Ireland welcomes proposals for a 19th package of sanctions, and we will work with our European partners to ensure that these can be agreed quickly. We also firmly believe that Russia should be held accountable for its actions and should have to pay for the destruction it has caused. We are therefore supportive of exploring options for the further use of Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine.
Ireland has been steadfast in its support for Ukraine since day one of this war. The impact of this war is felt by every household across the country, materially as well as emotionally. Members of this House have visited Ukraine to not just convey our solidarity but also to bear witness to the brutal consequences of Russia's full-scale invasion at first hand. In September of last year, then Taoiseach, Simon Harris, travelled to Kyiv for a meeting with President Zelenskyy and to sign a comprehensive bilateral agreement on support and co-operation between Ireland and Ukraine. In May, I visited Lviv to attend an informal European Council meeting and endorse the draft legal framework for a special tribunal.
We talk a lot, rightly and genuinely, about solidarity in this Chamber, but what does solidarity mean and how do you count it? Since February 2022, Ireland has committed €138 million in stabilisation and humanitarian supports. In addition to this, a further funding package of €33.5 million, announced last month, is currently in the process of being disbursed. Ireland has also welcomed more than 118,000 Ukrainians who were forced to leave their homeland and who sought sanctuary here.Many of them have remained. They have integrated well into Irish society, and they have also brought the joys of their own culture to our community. I have no doubt that, in time, they will play a crucial role in rebuilding their own country when it is once again safe to do so. For now, though, they are here, and they are consistently welcomed here and that will not change.
As I have outlined in great detail, Ireland is militarily neutral, but we have never been politically neutral, and certainly not in the face of Russia’s unprovoked aggression against a sovereign state. Ireland recognises that its continued support for Ukraine is a necessity, not a choice. We are playing our part by providing non-lethal military support to Ukraine. Through the Department of Defence, we continue to provide direct military support-in-kind. In June, five air defence radar systems and a fire tender were delivered to Ukraine. A further donation of 34 vehicles, including ambulances were delivered in two convoys in early September. Three Reacher bomb disposal robots were delivered to the Ukraine defence contact group, UDCG, de-mining coalition in mid-September. Over the coming weeks, the Defence Forces will deliver a further training module of basic training to Ukrainian armed forces personnel via the European Union military assistance mission, EUMAM, Ukraine. This will take to 22 the total number of modules delivered by Irish personnel.
Through the framework of the European Defence Agency’s EU SatCom market project, we provided support to Ukraine in respect to provision of satellite communications equipment at a value of €1.36 million. Ireland has contributed approximately €66 million to the European Peace Facility, EPF, for non-lethal military support to Ukraine. At EU level, the release of the majority of remaining committed funding under the EPF is currently blocked. The Tánaiste therefore sought agreement to provide €100 million, outside of the EPF, in non-lethal military support to Ukraine in March. The Tánaiste is firmly committed to continuing this strong support for Ukraine and I expect that a further substantial package of non-lethal support will be announced shortly. In July, €10 million was provided to each of the Ukraine defence contact group coalitions on de-mining and IT support, led by Lithuania and Iceland and by Estonia and Luxembourg, respectively. The remaining €80 million is being disbursed to EU member states with whom Ireland has agreed procurement partnerships, primarily for the procurement of non-lethal elements of air defence. We continue also to be open to considering contributions to any EU packages containing non-lethal elements of military support.
Senator Ahearn raised the issue of reconstruction. I was delighted to attend a reconstruction conference in Rome this year on behalf of the Government. He raised the issue of an envoy in relation to trade. I can confirm that Enterprise Ireland has appointed a Ukrainian pathfinder to help Irish companies engage more with the Ukrainian market, particularly SMEs, given the already existing role of companies such as CRH and Kingspan.
Senator Stephenson rightly raised the issue of not just supporting civic society but also journalists currently and in the future in Ukraine. Ireland has made that commitment and is already in the process of working with a range of different organisations as well as individuals.
Ireland’s commitment to international law is steadfast, as is our commitment to the fundamental principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity outlined in the UN Charter. Russia’s actions have undermined the foundations of the international rules-based system on which the United Nations is based. The principle that borders cannot be changed by force protects us all, yet a permanent member of the UN Security Council has cast this vital principle aside. This should concern us all. Universal principles, including the right to territorial integrity, must apply to each nation equally and in full. Any credible future for multilateralism depends on this. Ireland supports the continued investigations of the International Criminal Court in Ukraine and welcomes the historic progress made towards establishing the special tribunal for the crime of aggression. At the Council of Europe, Ireland has been a founding member of the register of damage. We welcome the finalisation of a draft convention establishing an international claims commission. These are all important steps towards redressing internationally wrongful acts committed by the Russian Federation in or against Ukraine.
We all want Russia’s war of aggression to end, but it must end on the basis of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, one that respects Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the principles of the UN Charter and international law. It is also vital that Ukraine’s security be protected in the long term. That means strong, credible guarantees that ensure Ukraine can defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity to avoid a repetition of the past. Ireland’s position remains clear. It is for Russia to now show through its actions a willingness to achieve peace by halting its brutal attacks and agreeing to a full and unconditional ceasefire. It can do so at any time. Ukraine and President Zelenskyy have clearly done their part.
Ireland believes that, ultimately, the greatest security guarantee that we can offer to Ukraine is membership of the European Union, the greatest peace project that the world has known. We strongly support Ukraine’s path towards EU membership and are determined to advance it under our EU Presidency, which begins next year.
While the current challenges may seem unsurmountable, we must not falter in our resolve. Our continued support for Ukraine is a necessity, not a choice. It is why Ireland stands with Ukraine now and however long it takes.
Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I thank all who participated in the debate, including my colleagues, Senators Daly, Ahearn, McCarthy, McCormack, Stephenson and McDowell. I thank the Minister of State for his response.
Senator McDowell was perfectly correct in what he said about calling out the United States and President Trump. When we see the efforts the EU has gone to in supporting Ukraine and trying to plan for the future, it is quite unconscionable that the US has done so little but humiliated President Zelenskyy to try to defeat his morale and make him appear indecisive and less than another Head of State. It was despicable viewing, and it does need to be called out.
It is also very concerning, as the Minister of State said, that Russia remains a permanent member of the security council while absolutely undermining the very foundation of the international rules-based system on which the UN is based. That is certainly something that hugely concerns me.
The Minister of State mentioned the Council of Europe register of damages. I was privileged to be the rapporteur for the fourth summit, where we introduced the register of damages. That is something that is absolutely going to make a difference.
All contributors spoke about the conditions people are now living under in Ukraine, and also how Ukrainians are living outside of Ukraine, like our guests present. It is no way to live. It is no way to try to have normality in life, work, have a family and be in contract with parents, neighbours or extended family. Those who have left Ukraine are increasingly worried all of the time about phone calls they may get at any point in time about family, friends and neighbours. That is not a way to live your life.
We are at a stalemate, as my colleague Senator Daly said. We do not see any movement. Within Europe, we are looking at the 19th set of sanctions. While we look forward to those coming and it is important we continue with sanctions, there is no sign that they are being taken in any way seriously by Russia, in that Russia is not making any type of preparation to look to the future and be able to try to live in peace as neighbours and come to a resolution.
All life is important and there is now an estimate that roughly 1.8 million people have been killed since the war of aggression started. That certainly includes a very large number of military personnel, but those lives are important, too. Many of those who have been sent out in Russian armies have done so because they have been conscripted. It is not because they have joined voluntarily. Some 1.8 million people have been killed in three years. It is incredulous that this is happening under our watch.
I acknowledge that Senator McCarthy is chair of the friendship group. He is doing a really good job. He mentioned Mr. Robert Deegan, a young man from my own town who went out to Ukraine twice. He lost an eye and came home.When he recuperated, he went back again. There was a very fitting tribute to him at the Hill of Allen when he passed. That is how his family chose to celebrate him, as a warrior.
We also remember Pierre Zakrzewski, who was a Franco-Irish citizen and journalist. Very early on in the war, he went out to bear witness. The point was well made about the journalists. They are going out to document war so that the rest of the world can see and hopefully act. We lost Pierre at a very early stage. There are many really great people in Ireland who have helped to support the Ukrainian people who have come here. They include Emma Lane-Spollen, Angie Gough and Jill Robinson, to mention a few.
It is important that we speak and speak often. The Middle East has taken over in terms of wars globally. Hopefully, with the actions of the last few days, we will continue to see progress there. For now, we have to stand in solidarity with Ukraine and help it on its path to accession to the EU. All that remains for me to say is that I commend the motion and I appreciate the support that has been shown. Slava Ukraini.
Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)
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I move amendment No. 2:
To delete the first paragraph under “acknowledges that:” and substitute the following: “- Ireland, as part of the international community committed to international law, will continue to support and stand in solidarity with Ukraine;”