I move amendment No. 1 to amendment No. 1: A. To insert the following after "expansion and imperialist ambitions": ", constituting a serious breach of international law and the sovereignty of a United Nations member state; B. To insert the following after "rights of the Ukrainian people": "and is grounded in international law and the protection of civilians;". C. To insert the following after "does not provide military aid": "and cannot be drawn, directly or indirectly, into military financing arrangements; — Ireland's policy of military neutrality is a core element of our foreign policy and any change to that position requires the consent of the Irish people in a referendum;". D. To insert the following after "discarded in this instance;": “— the use of enhanced cooperation in this manner risks undermining democratic oversight, budgetary scrutiny and the role of national parliaments;” E. To delete all words after "relentlessly attacked; and" and substitute the following: "— Irish taxpayers are facing severe pressures at home in housing, healthcare, infrastructure and cost of living, and overseas financial commitments must be assessed against those realities, and therefore calls on the Government to prepare and lay, before each House of the Oireachtas, a quarterly report outlining the operation and expenditure of the loan facilities granted under the proposed enhanced cooperation Loan for Ukraine, for the duration of its existence; and therefore, resolves to restrict our participation in lending money to Ukraine, under this enhanced cooperation proposal, strictly to transparent, civilian humanitarian and non-military purposes only, subject to full Dáil Éireann oversight, value-for-money guarantees, and binding safeguards, to ensure no Irish funds are used directly or indirectly for military or arms-related purposes, and that Ireland shall not participate in this enhanced cooperation where such safeguards cannot be assured.". We can all agree that what Russia did in Ukraine was wrong. It was illegal, it was brutal and innocent people have paid the highest price. Ireland has always supported international law and that should never be in question. However, saying an invasion is wrong does not mean we should sign up to anything and everything that is put in front of us, and it certainly does not mean we should allow our tradition of military neutrality to be chipped away at without people being told what is happening. The Government is asking this House to approve an EU loan scheme without clear guarantees, proper safeguards or straight answers on where Irish taxpayers' money might end up. That is not good enough. This scheme is not just about humanitarian aid. It opens the door to EU borrowing and systems that could end up supporting military spending, even indirectly. Ireland is a neutral country. That is not a slogan; it is a long-held principle and it belongs to the people, not to any government and not to Brussels. If there is any move to weaken neutrality, sidestep the triple lock or tie Ireland into military financing, the people deserve a say. That means a referendum, and that certainly has not happened here. Using enhanced operation as a way to push through something that does not have full agreement is mission creep. It is a workaround and people can see it. Families here in Ireland are dealing with housing shortages, hospital waiting lists, rising prices and failing infrastructure but the Government has not explained why we should be taking an open-ended financial commitment overseas when so much needs fixing here at home. Taxpayers deserve transparency, accountability and value for money, none of which are guaranteed in this proposal. That is why it cannot be supported. The amendment we put forward makes sure Ireland's role is strictly limited to humanitarian and civilian support. It rules out any involvement, even indirect, in military funding. It requires full Dáil oversight and strong protection for taxpayers' money. It makes one thing crystal clear: any change to neutrality must be decided by the Irish people. This is about protecting Ireland's independence in foreign policy decisions. It is about standing for peace, humanitarian support and democracy.

Sentiment score: 0.03