I will begin my statement today by again acknowledging the bravery of the women of Ukraine, the women of Afghanistan and all the women who are experiencing conflict at this time. Women face particular challenges and hardships in times of conflict and it is important that any response to conflict and the displacement of people specifically and particularly acknowledges the needs of women and children. I know that everyone in this House is thinking today of the women facing impossible choices as they try to protect t…

Is dochreidte an méid atá ag tarlú san Úcráin. Is uafásach an scéal é gan amhras. Is ionsaí mídhleathach gan réasún atá faoi chaibidil ag an Rúis. Is olc an scéal ar fad é agus tá muintir na tíre seo go hiomlán i gcoinne an ionsaithe seo. We are less than a week into this horrific war against the Ukrainian people and I think President Putin has not achieved the rapid victory over them that he anticipated. More importantly, what is very clear from the resistance of the Ukrainian people is "how dare they value their …

If I could, it is very important that I make this point genuinely in the face of the war that we are facing on our Continent. The European Union, working together as a unified body with the United States and Canada, packs a powerful punch. We have seen that in terms of the sanctions that have been agreed. We were very clear at the EU Council meeting - we wanted the widest set of sanctions. We want to protect Irish citizens and we want to maintain diplomatic channels to protect Irish citizens in Ukraine, in Russia a…

I do not overestimate the diplomatic leverage the Deputy has just alluded to in terms of the expulsion of any diplomat. We have expelled diplomats in the past. The Deputy did not find favour with that in the past, as she knows. She took the view that it was contrary to military neutrality at the time, in the teeth of Russian aggression. I readily acknowledge that when that happens there is a reciprocal response and one ends up with nobody on the ground, particularly in Moscow, where we have Irish citizens. I do not…

I hold very little time for the Russian ambassador and his performance to date in his presentations and what he has articulated on public television-----

-----or for the Russian leadership. I have made that very clear in this House. I understand fully people's anger towards Russia, the leadership and the Russian ambassador. My primary concern is with Irish citizens and vulnerable Irish citizens. Earlier, Deputy McDonald made the point about diplomacy and so forth. A chargé d'affaires located here or somewhere else will not do a whole lot. Let us be very honest with people about that. If you cut off diplomatic relations, you cut them off. That is something that at Eu…

There have not been differences between us and the European Union on funding. I make that point clearly. We are part of the European peace facility, which was originally established to deal, in particular, with the African continent and to support military infrastructure in Africa. We have facilitated the application and deployment-----

-----of the peace facility with regard to Ukraine. In other words, we have facilitated the provision of weapons and security infrastructure by European Union member states to Ukraine.

This should not be an issue of division.

We should be united in this House. The interjections are not necessary. I want to make an important point.

There has been unity. Ireland has been right up there in supporting all measures to help the Ukrainian people last week and this week.

We facilitated the passage of the legislation without any opposition on Second Stage.

The Deputy knows we facilitated its passage.

Let us not make the Bill the centrepiece of our response to the Ukrainian people and what they need right now.

I ask Deputies to acknowledge those sanctions. We have done that and we are willing to do more. We are willing to engage with the Deputy in respect of the Bill.

I dealt with that issue transparently yesterday. Ireland has not been found wanting in any area in respect of our response to the crisis in Ukraine. We are getting legitimate calls from Deputies and Senators from across the Houses about helping Irish citizens in Ukraine and elsewhere. We are getting legitimate calls to which we are responding.

We are working with people.

On a better and different day, the Deputies opposite would agree with me. I regret to some extent the attempts to divide the House on this issue.

It is wrong.

That is what is going on.