An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-18
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Chris Andrews (SF), Labour Panel

I agree with my colleague, Senator Collins. It is right that the three-day rule is hopefully going to be got rid of because it is about choice and respect for women. If I went to a doctor and the doctor told me that I had to think about it for three days, I would find that really patronising. As I do not think it would happen to a man, I do not think it should happen to women either in terms of healthcare.
Cuba is facing an extraordinarily difficult economic situation as a result of the illegal trade blockade imposed by the Trump regime. Sinn Féin activists and representatives and the Cuba Solidarity Forum Ireland have donated and organised containers of medical supplies for Cuba to help alleviate some of the most severe effects of this blockade. I thank everyone who contributed to this important cause. The blockade has resulted in severe shortages of food, medicine, and other necessities. It is having a dire impact on ordinary Cuban citizens. This is nothing new, as the Cuban people have been enduring this situation for more than 60 years, but those in power in the United States are clearly trying to put maximum economic pressure on Cuba to try to force regime change. This blockade has been repeatedly condemned by the UN General Assembly, which votes practically every year to call on the United States to end its blockade. Despite this, American policy is going in the other direction and Trump, Rubio and their acolytes have been trying to bully other sovereign states to stop their trade with Cuba. It is just another example of the terminal decline of international law and institutions.
Since the illegal and criminal US military actions in Venezuela, we have seen an escalation of aggression towards Cuba and it is not unlikely that this country will be next targeted by Trump. Some will claim the US won in Venezuela. That is debatable. It has clearly lost in Iran and now Trump will be setting his sights on a new target, which is likely to be Cuba. In particular, the Trump regime has been trying to deprive Cuba of its energy supply by trying to force Mexico and other countries to stop perfectly legitimate bilateral trade with Cuba. It has also been propagating false propaganda narratives that Cuba somehow poses a threat to the United States as a clear means of justifying a future war. For anybody who knows anything about geopolitics, that is clearly not true. Ireland and the EU have a responsibility to stand up to Trump and his endless aggression.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-18