On behalf of the Social Democrats, I express our continued solidarity with the people of Ukraine. The horrific bombardment of civilians and civilian infrastructure by Putin and his forces over the past four years has been utterly reprehensible, as has been the abduction of children. The ordinary people of Ukraine are suffering day by day because of this needless war, whether that is the loss of life, the disruption of lives, the maiming of lives and people being cut off from power and heat in the depths of winter. It is clear Putin and Russia are not just targeting military targets but that this is an ongoing attack against civilians and civilian infrastructure. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people on that. It is clear Putin’s aggression has to be stopped. We in the Social Democrats fully support the ordinary people of Ukraine who have suffered horrendously over the past four years of this war. It is clear there needs to be practical support for the Ukrainian people and without that they and the Ukrainian state cannot continue to provide basic services and civilian infrastructure while defending themselves. The European Union attempt to use the frozen Russian assets could not get over the line at the European Council meeting, which is why we are now in this situation with this loan. It is very clear that if there is a failure to provide practical support and financing for Ukraine, then not only will that lead to a collapse in the services the Ukrainian state provides but it also will very much play into the hands of Putin, and that would have all sorts of repercussions throughout Europe if it happens. That said, the loan facility being proposed provides a number of challenges for Ireland as a neutral country. We want to provide practical support to the people of Ukraine. As a neutral country, we do not provide military support. It is the view of the Social Democrats that the loan should have been constructed in such a way as would specifically facilitate neutral countries like Ireland, making it explicitly clear that our contribution is to be used to finance civilian aid only. There is no evidence from the Irish Government to date that any attempt was made to do that or to have two financing streams, one a broader stream that non-neutral countries could back and support and the other a tighter financing stream for neutral countries like Ireland so we could be explicitly sure that every cent we contribute and any guarantees of loans we contribute are entirely in line with our objectives as a neutral country. I ask for that to be addressed by the Minister. I want an explanation for why that did not happen and was not sought. There are broader issues with this loan facility. There are risks such as whether it will ever be repaid. While it is being backed up with the frozen Russian assets, there are real risks for the repayment of this in terms of any future peace deals and what the arrangements may be with the different international actors brokering them. There is also an issue with the mutualisation of debt. This is a wider issue. We are seeing the European Union going full steam ahead in mutualising debt and taking on these responsibilities. We very much hope there will be a peace deal for Ukraine. If there is, the European Union will take on significant responsibilities in helping Ukraine to get back on its feet and that will involve significant financial commitments. All that is necessary and we will support it. However, what is happening at a European Union level with taking on these additional responsibilities and mutualising debt is that we are not seeing it matched by any plans for revenue raising or funding streams to back it in the long term. In one sense, taking on these additional responsibilities is necessary and the right thing to do. However, if there is no plan for how they will be funded in years to come, we are simply setting up a bigger problem that will have to be faced and that has to be addressed. Clearly, this is a challenge politically across Europe because there is no appetite among political leaders to do that. That is a clear challenge that needs to be addressed. I recently met the president of the European Court of Auditors who made the point that significant risks are being backed by Europe with the taking on of additional responsibilities without the funding mechanisms being put in place. We will be supporting the amendment put down by Sinn Féin to this motion. I hope the concerns I raised will be addressed by the Minister of State.

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