Cian O'Callaghan: Ban Alumina Exports to Russia Now

Tánaiste, President Zelensky's visit to Ireland yesterday was cut short due to another deadly attack on Ukraine. At least 17 people were killed and more than 50 injured overnight after missiles rained down on Kiev. As we speak, emergency workers are at the scene of a collapsed nine-storey apartment building searching for survivors in rubble. This has been the biggest attack on Kiev since the war began. The mayor has declared that a day mourning will take place tomorrow to remember those killed. Tánaiste, this has been the reality of life in Ukraine now for more than four years. Death, destruction and devastation from attacks by Russia. Some of them using weapons which have raw materials that are manufactured in Ireland according to an independent investigation. Tánaiste, yesterday President Zelensky said as much. He criticised the EU's failure to sanction companies still under the effective control of Russian oligarchs. He said and I quote, every tonne of raw materials that ends up in Russia is used against us in this war. Back in March the Irish Times published details of an extensive investigation carried out with the organised crime and corruption reporting project. It revealed alumina produced in Ireland is being used by Russia to manufacture weapons which are killing Ukrainians. Your government is fully aware of this too but has refused to act on this evidence so has commissioned its own inquiry into the matter. Tánaiste, how much evidence do you need? What exactly are you looking for? Tánaiste, the foot-dragging by the Irish government is in sharp contrast to the Australians. They didn't need to conduct any investigation before they acted back in 2022. As soon as Putin invaded Ukraine they banned all exports of alumina to Russia. They didn't want to be complicit in the murder of men, women and children in Ukraine. More than four years later as exports of alumina from Ireland to Russia have at least doubled, your government is still burying its head in the sand and refusing to do what everybody knows is needed. You need to ban the export of alumina to Russia. Tánaiste, these delaying tactics are not just immoral and damaging to Ireland's international reputation, they've made the risk to the almost 500 jobs at Augenish alumina much worse. When Putin invaded Ukraine over four years ago, 23% of exports from the plant went to Russia. That figure has at least doubled since, if not tripled. If your government is now scrambling around trying to find alternative markets for the company, that work is much more difficult. Tánaiste, the Irish government cannot keep beating its chest about support for Ukraine in public, while in private it's knowingly facilitating the export of alumina to Russia, which is ending up in weapons, killing Ukrainians. So can you tell me, and be specific, when is your investigation going to be completed? What kind of evidence are you looking for that you don't already have? And when are you going to stop this pretense and ban the export of alumina to Russia? Thanks very much Deputy O'Connell. I think the first thing we have to do here is be very careful in our language. There's no pretense from the government of Ireland, the people of Ireland, or any party in this house in relation to the horrific, illegal, brutal war that Russia is carrying out on Ukraine. And President Zelensky certainly didn't feel any pretense when he was here yesterday, quite the opposite in fact. We decided as a country, as we decided as a government on the first day of our presidency of the Council of the European Union, we wanted to be joined here in Ireland by President Zelensky, and we were, to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine and to show support for his courage and the inspiration that he's providing to his own people and indeed to all Europeans. This country, this government has acted in support of Ukraine, the people of Ukraine at every opportunity. Look at the amount of people we've supported in terms of refuge, the opening of homes and hearths. Look at the amount of financial assistance. Look at the support that we provide Ukraine in terms of its journey towards European Union membership as well. So while there's a legitimate issue of importance here, that legitimate issue of importance can no way muddy the waters in terms of the very clear, consistent and unequivocal stance taken by the people of Ireland and the government of Ireland, and I think a political consensus in this Oireachtas in terms of support for Ukraine. I join you in condemning the horrific attack on Kiev last night, and again it's just another reminder that Putin has no interest in peace, and therefore we have to continue the process in terms of sanctions and hurting the Russian economy where it matters, in terms of trying to apply maximum pressure to Putin and his regime to end this brutal illegal war. In relation to Agnes Illumina, the first thing to say here is it's the European Commission that proposes sanctions, not EU member states. So the Commission proposes sanctions, and then ultimately member states vote on those package of sanctions. The Irish government has supported every single package of sanctions. We believe in sanctions. We've had 21 packages of sanctions in relation to Russia, and indeed I hope during our presidency we can see the development of a 22nd package of sanctions as well. We do need to establish the facts in relation to Agnes Illumina. I think President Zelensky understands that indeed. I think he appreciates the work that is being carried out. He would have met, we put the Taoiseach and Minister McEntee yesterday where this issue would have been discussed. The European Commission is also being kept fully plugged in in terms of that information. My understanding is that the investigation is nearing finalisation. I don't want to cut across that process. I do want to make the point though, I made it this morning and I want to make it again, I don't think, and you're not suggesting it is, I don't think it's a binary choice between supply chains and sanctions. I think we've seen time and time again where Europe has had to diversify and find workarounds and find other ways. We're very clear, very very clear in our mind and our position that you can't cherry pick when it comes to the issue of sanctions. So what we're doing here is establishing facts. We've received information from a variety of sources, including the Ukrainian government. We're plugged in with the European Commission, though that information is now being stress tested. I expect it to come to a conclusion very shortly. We'll keep the European Commission briefed, fully briefed, and ultimately it'll be the European Commission, not the Irish government, that will decide whether to propose sanctions or not to propose sanctions on a company or indeed any individual. Thanks Tony. To Deputy O'Connor. Tony, Australia acted more than four years ago. As soon as Putin invaded Ukraine because they didn't want to have anything to do with supplying a raw material to Putin's war machine, it was abundantly clear to them that they needed to act and they did so. Four, more than four years later, you haven't acted. That's despite growing evidence that's staring you in the face. We have a situation where exports of alumina from Ireland since the invasion began have at least doubled, if not tripled. According to Swedish tax authorities, the plant in Ognish is effectively controlled by a Russian oligarch who is a supporter and close ally of Putin's and we've had the independent investigation published in March showing that alumina going from Ireland has been sent to Russia to smelters where it's making aluminium that is then being used by the Russian military. So what more evidence do you need before your act? When are you going to act on this? When are you going to stop these exports? And when are you going to take the kind of action that is needed to show that we actually do as a country stand in solidarity with Ukraine in everything that we do? So Australia is obviously not in the European Union so it's taken its own decisions in relation to measures and sanctions it imposes on Russia. We've taken sanctions as part of the European Union, not on one occasion, not on two occasions, not on three, but on 21 occasions and we've been very clear during the Irish presidency of the Council of the European Union we want to work with other member states in terms of developing further sanctions because we know whether it's from a defence point of view, a security point of view, an economic point of view, actually the best way of having impact on Putin is through financial sanctions. We remain absolutely committed on resolution relations and Minister McEntee will be working with her colleagues through FAC and the Taoiseach will be working and I'll be working, we'll all be working in relation to continuing to maximise the pressure on Russia. Alumina hasn't been classified as a dual-use product. There have been, as you'll remember on many, many occasions, information around that planted limerick and many occasions in the past it's been assessed by Europe and the US and the assurances given had been satisfactory at that time. You are right that new information has come into the public domain. That's not an investigation in itself, it has to be investigated, facts have to be established and we as a member state are providing the maximum amount of information and facts to the European Commission and it will be the European Commission that will decide whether sanctions should and should not be imposed on any company and the Irish position, and let not the word great in any way contradictory to this, from this National Parliament, the people of Ireland deplore the actions of Putin as does this government and we'll take every step we possibly can to support the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes.