Deputy Mary Lou McDonald- speech from 1 Mar 2022

Gourmáigat, Láskéhann Córhle. Au duus, Láskéhann Córhle, bo ailem glúú fórtiogtus agus glúú fórtiogt hinn fein léru lewintur na Hukrónia. Ni fheidele aenea wal maasagwane ar an Sirsa agus ar Ciannasacht agus ar Fein Kinnu, ag bráithnu lehúfos ar Gnivar in Arúsa agus a Ciannara Vladimir Putin. Ni leithaeth fecha ag agang sy eurroplar harte ar Caira Scór bléan anuas. Thégan ménsir na hérin an Chunkar a will ar Unra Achtranach agus siasa medleis an Ucrán ag an Trósa. Ni hógan ginnífara in Arúsa ag bós agus skrís da hír bráidu. I want to start, Láskéhann Córhle, by extending again my solidarity and the solidarity of all of us in Sinn Féin to the people of Ukraine. All of us who value freedom, sovereignty and the right to self-determination of free peoples can only look in horror at the actions of the Russian Federation and its leader Vladimir Putin in embarking on the type of invasion that we have not seen in Europe for decades. Ireland, more than most, knows and understands the impact of occupation and imperialist aggression, and we stand with Ukraine as they face down the tyranny of empire. The actions of Russia bring nothing but death and destruction to a proud country. They are acts that we have regrettably witnessed around the world in modern times in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Palestine. They are acts that have no place in the 21st century period, irrespective of who the aggressor is. The Charter of the United Nations, the cornerstone of modern international law, prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. That must be our starting point and our ending point. And it must be the goal of the international community, through diplomacy, to bring about a peaceful resolution, to stop this war and to stop all wars. James Connolly wrote that there are no humane methods of warfare. There is no such thing as civilised warfare. All warfare is inhuman. All warfare is barbaric. The first blast of the bugles of war ever sounds, for the time being, the funeral knell of human progress. And he wasn't wrong. But there is a way out of this. I believe that, as with any conflict, the way out of this is through politics, through dialogue. By dint of our military neutrality, our history of conflict resolution, and our seat on the UN Security Council, and particularly, let it be said, as the only European member of the Security Council that is not also a member of NATO. Because of this, Ireland is uniquely placed in Europe to put the case for an intensification of efforts to find a peaceful pathway forward. As a military neutral, as a country that is committed to the rule of law, to the success of multilateralism, to democracy, to dialogue, I believe we can play a proactive role in the response of the international community at large. So we must step up our supports for those in need of humanitarian aid, and our support for those displaced by this conflict. And I have no doubt that we will play our full part in accommodating those fleeing Ukraine as part of a comprehensive Europe-wide and, indeed, global response. I also hope that Ukrainian membership of the European Union can be expedited, in line with the motion passed overwhelmingly today by the European Parliament. I want to acknowledge the very, very many people in Russia who do not want this war. We send them our solidarity as they bravely protest the unjust actions of their leaders. And we should acknowledge that this is not an easy thing. In fact, this is a most courageous thing to do in a country that has a dismal human rights record. You see, it is ordinary people who will feel the heavy impact of economic sanctions, even when they are correctly targeted predominantly at Russian oligarchs and big business. Those sanctions are, I believe, an absolutely essential part of the diplomatic effort to make the Russian leadership realise the futility of their actions in invading Ukraine. Vladimir Putin can, even at this late juncture, accept that his actions are entirely unjust, and that they are contrary to international law, and that he can end this barbarism. As we move forward from here, there is an onus and responsibility on us to renew and step up our proud efforts as a state to advance the cause of international nuclear disarmament. Indeed, it should be remembered that Ireland was the first country to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 1968. And statements and events of recent days serve to remind us that we are never more than minutes away from a chain reaction of missile strikes that threaten the very existence of humankind. And for that reason, all nuclear weapons held by all actors must be put beyond use, and new measures put in place to ensure that they can never be produced again. In conclusion, Count Corlea, let me state again that we here in Ireland stand with the global community and oppose and condemn Russia's actions. That we support Ukraine's right to territorial integrity, its internationally recognised borders, and we recognise, above all else, the rights of Ukrainian women, men, children, to their safety and to their homeland. There can be no tolerance for the type of aggression we have seen by a very large, very powerful state against its smaller neighbour. This aggression is entirely unacceptable to all of us, to all of us in this House, to the Irish people, to the international community, and I therefore commend and I support the motion before us this afternoon.