Article 20 of Treaty on European Union Regarding Enhanced Co-operation: Motion
Seanad Éireann — 2026-01-27
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Sarah O'Reilly (AON), Agricultural Panel

I support Sinn Féin's amendment because to me it is clear that we should not support or ratify this loan. We have no guarantees regarding how this loan will be spent or its potential to be spent on military equipment and arms. We have a long-standing history of neutrality. Time and again, every opinion poll has indicated that the Irish public puts immense value on our neutrality. Instead of signing off on loans that could contribute to further military warfare, we should be facilitating peace talks and being a diplomatic presence in the midst of worldwide global instability. We have done our bit for the Ukrainian people and for Ukrainian refugees. Only a few months ago, in December, the Taoiseach gave €125 million to Ukraine for humanitarian support. The Government and the EU have to respect the neutrality of member states. We do not want to support the purchase of arms or weapons. Humanitarian aid is important, but there must be a limit. If the Government is unable to support people with disabilities because of budget constraints, I suggest we have met that limit. I understand there are mechanisms in this loan to prevent corruption but people who are embezzling money rarely stand up and announce it. Ukraine has well-documented corruption, including the recent €100 million embezzlement scandal linked to Zelenskyy's friend and former chief of staff. There is no guarantee for Irish taxpayers as to where or how money is being spent overseas. I cannot support the approval of this loan. The Government is always worried about being the best boys in Europe, but we can still be in the gang with strong leadership that puts Ireland, our citizens and their interests first.

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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