Senator John McGahon- speech from 2 Mar 2022

Acting Leader, I have a very different view when it comes to Irish neutrality and I believe that there needs to be a discussion because the international scene and international relations has fundamentally changed as a result of Russian aggression and I think the time will come to have a mature debate about that in this country when you look at the refugee trains that are leaving Ukraine and getting to Poland they're going straight back to Ukraine but they're full of men 80,000 Ukrainian men have returned to their country to take up arms against a Russian tyrant and Russian aggression they have crossed right back over the border and I firmly believe like other European countries like all other European countries we should be sending weapons to to Ukraine I fundamentally and I wholeheartedly believe that because when we are faced with the aggression of a tyrant you have to meet might with might and that is my very strong personal view about it and when we talk about sending aid when we talk about sending solidarity to then have an Irish MEP say well we'll send you fuel but please don't use that military aid vehicles well tell that to the Ukrainians who are having their cities flattened by Russian tanks and Russian airstrikes tell that to the women and children of Ukraine who are being slaughtered in the streets as a result of Russian aggression we should be sending them our javelin missiles not our solidarity that is my very strong and deeply held belief and view about this and the final thing I'd like to say about it is and Leo Fraggar said it it may not be a good idea to have knee-jerk reactions I believe we need to meet the occasion of the moment and send weapons to people who need it drastically to stop Putin and Russian aggression and after that we need to have an open debate about it it's not sacrosanct it's not a sacred cow and we shouldn't be afraid to debate issues we have debated some huge issues in the last five or six years in this country that people fundamentally did agree with or didn't agree with and the concept of Irish neutrality should not be a debate that's off the table and should not be discussed and let's be mature about it and have the discussion and if the debate is lost that's well and good but we should not shy away from or be afraid of that debate about Irish neutrality