Táimid ag caint go príomha faoin leasú. I speak primarily regarding our amendment to this motion, which sums up our view of this proposition. Almost four years ago Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation engaged in an act of aggression and imperialist expansion against Ukraine and its people. We have since seen appalling atrocities at Bucha, Zaporizhzhia and Mariupol, attacks on civilian infrastructure and the barbaric abduction of children. Sinn Féin and this House have been emphatic in our condemnation. The people have responded commendably in supporting Ukrainian families and through contribution to various charitable causes. The past four years have seen the Ukrainian people suffer many hardships. The situation on the ground remains very severe. Recent weeks have seen reports of Ukrainian energy workers collapsing from exhaustion as they work in incredibly challenging circumstances to keep the Ukrainian energy system going to sustain the economy, ensure healthcare continues to function and serve the needs of the Ukrainian people. We have supported and continue to support assistance to Ukraine for civilian, humanitarian and non-military purposes. We recognise the need exists to bolster its civilian infrastructure, with a particular emphasis on energy infrastructure. However, the motion before us is a different proposition. The €90 billion loan is for the most part a loan for military purposes. This is difficult to square with our position as a militarily neutral State. The EU was never meant to be a military alliance. We recognise and accept the right and prerogative of individual EU states to enter military alliances as they see fit but the EU is not that, was never meant to be that and has to respect the rights of neutral countries. The mechanism used here, namely, the accelerated procedure, is not intended for a purpose such as this and unfortunately the EU has discarded the usual checks, balances and safeguards that are meant to be part of this process. There is no obstacle to those countries that are not neutral and wish to provide weaponry doing so outside the EU. Irish finances are, via this mechanism, being used to purchase weaponry via this fund. This creates a serious precedent for future conflicts the EU may wish to influence. We should not be participating in this mechanism to the extent that it is being used for the purpose of purchasing weaponry. Our contribution, whether in this or any other mechanism, should be solely on the basis of civilian, humanitarian and non-military support. If our amendment is not adopted, we will not be in a position to support this motion. We regret the Government’s failure to make the important distinction between civilian and humanitarian support and weaponry. We recognise Ukraine will continue to require support politically and diplomatically and we are clear where the fault lies and who is the aggressor - it is Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation. We should continue to offer that political and diplomatic support and where it is required humanitarian and civilian support in practical ways but it must be in a manner consistent with our neutrality.

Sentiment score: -0.03