Article 20 of Treaty on European Union Regarding Enhanced Co-operation: Motion
Seanad Éireann — 2026-01-27
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Conor Murphy (SF), Industrial and Commercial Panel

I move amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after "That Seanad Éireann" and substitute the following:
“notes draft Council Decision authorising enhanced cooperation on the establishment of a Loan for Ukraine, a copy of which was laid before Seanad 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;
- the 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 provided 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, it does not provide military aid;
- the European Union 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;
- the humanitarian situation in Ukraine remains considerable and civilian assistance remains necessary, particular 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.”
Senator McCormack and I are sharing time. Do I require a seconder?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-01-27/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:33+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-27