Article 20 of Treaty on European Union Regarding Enhanced Co-operation: Motion Seanad Éireann — 2026-01-27 ============================================================ Conor Murphy (SF), Industrial and Commercial Panel Okay. We will be opposing this motion and have tabled an amendment outlining the approach we believe a militarily neutral EU member state should take to providing support for Ukraine. We are deeply sympathetic to the people of Ukraine and fully recognise the act of aggression committed by the Russian Federation in its invasion. Sinn Féin values and defends the right of every nation to sovereignty, a right that has been denied to our own country since partition. On a human level, we understand the parallels between Ireland's experience and that of Ukraine. Both peoples have suffered under colonial domination and the pursuit of imperial interests. In that context, Ukraine has every right to defend itself, just as any sovereign nation does when invaded. We believe that Ireland has shown significant solidarity with Ukraine. Sinn Féin acknowledges and welcomes the many Ukrainian citizens who have made Ireland their home while war continues in their country. The State has provided humanitarian support and assistance with energy costs. We believe this support should continue. We fully support aid for non-lethal purposes. However, the proposal before us includes no guarantees that this €90 billion package will not be used to purchase weapons. In fact, some EU states stand to benefit from arms sales to Ukraine as a consequence of this loan. The EU itself was conceived as an organisation for the promotion of trade, economic integration and peace. It was never intended to be a substitute for or an equivalent to a military alliance. We respect the prerogative of individual member states to participate in the trade of arms according to their own policies and priorities, but this should occur outside the ambit of EU structures, structures that should respect the neutrality of various member states. It is worth noting that three member states have already opted not to participate in the loan, the repayment of which is dependent on the payment of reparations by Russia. Ireland is a militarily neutral state. For that reason, we cannot support the issuing of any loan that could be used to purchase weapons. While we respect the decision of other EU member states to provide arms if they choose to do so, Ireland's position is different. Neutrality must be upheld. The Irish people strongly support the policy of military neutrality. The triple lock exists to protect that neutrality. That position has earned us a respected and honourable reputation internationally as a defender of peace, human rights and global justice. It is a position worth defending. This proposal from the Government compromises neutrality and must be rejected but we remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine and all nations and peoples under attack from imperialist forces. We have fervently hoped that a just and lasting peace will be achieved in Ukraine. Our opposition to this motion does not contradict that. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. 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