I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes the draft Council Decision authorising enhanced cooperation on the establishment of a Loan for Ukraine, a copy of which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 21st January, 2026; recognises that: — the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation was an act of aggression, which was motivated by expansion and imperialist ambitions; — the people of Ukraine have shown immense resolve, resilience and determination; — Irish people have stood in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and share their hope for a just sustainable and lasting peace, which respects the rights of the Ukrainian people; — Ireland has, and continues to, rightly provide support for the Ukrainian people by way of aid for non-lethal purposes, including infrastructure, energy costs and humanitarian needs; — the nature of this aid reflects the fact that, while Ireland has a politically clear position in condemning Russian aggression, it is, and remains, the position that Ireland is a militarily neutral state, therefore, does not provide military aid; — the European Union (EU) was conceived of as an organisation for the promotion of trade, economic integration and peace, and was never intended as a substitute for, or equivalent to, military alliances; — we respect the prerogative of individual member states to participate in the trade of arms, according to their own policies and priorities, but that this should occur outside of the ambit of EU structures, respecting the need for the EU to respect the neutrality of various member states; — the enhanced cooperation mechanisms were never envisioned to be used for purposes such as large-scale loans, for purposes including military expenditure, and that some of the checks and balances that would be typically applied have been discarded in this instance; — there is no obstacle to member states who wish to provide arms to Ukraine in providing loans, either individually or in concert with other countries, outside of EU vehicles; and — the humanitarian situation in Ukraine remains considerable and civilian assistance remains necessary in sustaining key civilian infrastructure, particularly energy infrastructure, which has been relentlessly attacked; and therefore, resolves to restrict our participation in lending money to Ukraine under this enhanced cooperation proposal, or otherwise to civilian humanitarian and non-military purposes, and shall not participate in loans which may be used for arms. This amendment is consistent with our position of supporting humanitarian aid, energy assistance and support for civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. It supports the provision of non-lethal support that saves lives and keeps hospitals open and homes heated. This reflects Ireland's clear political opposition to Russian aggression while remaining consistent with our long-standing policy of military neutrality. What the Government is proposing is a decisive step away from that position. The proposal before the House is not a peace initiative. It is not primarily humanitarian. It is a proposal for €90 billion in funding, delivered for Ukraine through enhanced co-operation, with the clear intention that the majority of that funding will be used for military purposes. That is why Sinn Féin opposes the motion. This is about underwriting an enormous escalation in military financing, through EU mechanisms, in a war for which there is no credible peace process, no diplomatic roadmap and no political horizon beyond further escalation. Let us be honest - in the absence of diplomacy, negotiation and serious international engagement, the vacuum is being filled with weapons and money from abroad. That is not a strategy for peace. It is a strategy for a war with no end in sight. For the average person, this is shocking. At a time when families in Ireland are crippled by the cost-of-living crisis and after a budget that gave ordinary workers nothing, the Government is proposing that billions of euro be given to Ukraine for weapons of war. I would rather see that money being invested in public services and cost-of-living supports across the European Union than in buying weapons of war. The European Union was founded as a peace project based on co-operation, reconciliation and shared prosperity. It was never intended to function as a military financing vehicle, nor as a substitute for military alliances. This is all being done using a workaround that was never intended to be used in this way. Enhanced co-operation was designed as a last resort where unanimity could not be achieved, not as a mechanism to discard checks and balances in order to push through €90 billion in loans primarily for defence expenditure. Yet, that is precisely what is happening. This proposal allows the EU to borrow on capital markets, backed by EU budget headroom, even though not all member states agree to the proposal. It commits participating countries, including Ireland, to billions of euro in debt-servicing costs for years to come, while neutrality concerns are treated as an inconvenience. We are told these loans will be repaid through future reparations from Russia but that is far from guaranteed. What is guaranteed is that major defence manufacturers, many of them within the European Union, will benefit economically from this arrangement. This cannot be viewed in isolation. The Government has made clear its intention to steadily erode Ireland's military neutrality through abandoning the triple lock, creeping alignment with EU and NATO military structures and now through the normalisation of EU-level military financing. First the Government seeks to ditch the triple lock and now it wants Ireland to underwrite €90 billion in loans primarily for military financing, all without a mandate from the Irish people. Piece by piece, decision by decision, neutrality is being hollowed out. If individual member states wish to supply arms to Ukraine, that is their sovereign choice. It should not be done through EU structures, not in our name and not by dragging Ireland, a neutral state, into military commitments by the back door. What Ukraine needs, alongside humanitarian support, is a renewed and genuine international push for diplomacy, negotiations and a pathway to peace. Funding of €90 billion primarily for military purposes, with no political strategy beyond escalation, is not solidarity; it is failure. We will not support the use of EU mechanisms - or Irish resources - to finance war or dismantle our neutrality. That is why we are opposing the motion brought forward by the Government and tabled the amendment to seek the objectives I outlined earlier.

Sentiment score: -0.01