Good morning,
The Government’s cost-of-living package dominated proceedings in Leinster House yesterday, with votes passing in the Dáil last night to lower excise on petrol and diesel.
However, the fallout from the investigation by The Irish Times into the business of Aughinish Alumina was rumbling in the background. And it places the Coalition in an awkward position.
Conor Gallagher’s work has shown how the Limerick plant is shipping vast amounts of alumina to smelters in Russia, where it is used to make aluminium. This is then sold to a trading company that supplies dozens of Russian arms manufacturers, according to leaked documents.
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Successive governments, mindful of the huge economic role played by the plant, have gone to bat for Aughinish Alumina and its Russian owner, Rusal, whenever it has been threatened by sanctions. However, the revelations – even related to exports of a commodity not targeted by sanctions – have led to criticism from the Opposition, and also requests from the Ukrainians to “do everything you can to stop this from happening”.
Read Conor’s front page follow-up story today here.
For years now, the Government’s position on Ukraine has been that Ireland is militarily but not politically neutral. This angle, and the invasion of Ukraine, has also been the starting point for a slow-rolling overhaul of defence and security policy.
It suggests Ireland does everything short of sending bullets to support Ukraine – and it has been heavily emphasised by Dublin, given the prevailing currents on defence and scrutiny of Irish capabilities. The revelations put pressure on this position, even if the Government can reasonably claim it had no knowledge of the onward flow of materials from Aughinish.
Belgium’s reaction to the story is also awkward for Ireland. Its minister for foreign affairs, Maxime Prévot, said the findings were “extremely disturbing” and that Belgium would call for “loopholes” in the sanctions regime to be closed.
“We cannot support Ukraine with billions of euros on the one hand, and on the other allow European raw materials to feed the Russian arms industry,” he said.
The Coalition’s language toughened during the day yesterday, with two Government departments now looking into the matter.
Doing nothing isn’t an option for the Coalition in the face of all this – but what it does next is the question.
Best reads
Keep on top of the latest developments in the Iran conflict with our daily live story here.
The top stories of the day in 10 minutes: the daily Early Edition podcast is here.
Miriam Lord runs her eye over the pullin’ and draggin’ on the cost of living in Leinster House yesterday.
US troops set for Middle East deployment even as Trump signals end may be in sight.
Shauna Bowers has the extraordinary story of an unregistered dentist doing X-rays in an apartment sittingroom.
Kathy Sheridan on Donald Trump, Michael O’Leary and the death of civility.
Wednesday’s Prague hype bandwagon corner: our writers pick the Ireland team to face the Czech Republic.
Playbook
Topical issues open proceedings in the Dáil at 9am, and Labour’s justice spokesman, Alan Kelly, has a motion on Garda recruitment and retention at 10am.
Leaders’ Questions is at noon, followed by Other Members’ Questions and Questions on Policy or Legislation.
In the afternoon, Government Business will be given over to statements on football as well as legislation, including on assisted decision making.
Here’s the full schedule.
The Taoiseach and the Minister for Housing, James Browne, are launching a housing development in Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow, at 10am. It’s the same estate where this happened last year.
Commencement matters in the Seanad are from 10.30am, and in the afternoon the International Protection Bill goes through its report and final stages. That’s at 1pm.
In the evening, Michael McDowell has a motion on a referendum to cap the number of TDs.
The full schedule is here.
In the committee rooms, Children’s Health Ireland will be in front of the Health Committee at 9.30am to talk about the national children’s hospital saga.
Ryanair, Aer Lingus and Airlines for America are among those in front of the Transport Committee to talk about legislation lifting the passenger cap at Dublin Airport. No Michael O’Leary, though.
In the afternoon, the Infrastructure Committee will discuss a request to waive pre-legislative scrutiny for the Critical Infrastructure Bill, and also meet officials from the housing activation office in the Department of Housing on addressing bottlenecks.
Later in the evening, the Defence Committee hears from the implementation oversight group for the Commission on the Defence Forces (DF), as well as from the DF itself and the Department of Defence. That’s at 6.30pm.
Here’s the full schedule.
Also in the evening, the Taoiseach will launch a new book – Seán Lemass: The Lost Memoir – by The Irish Times’s own Ronan McGreevy at the National Library of Ireland
There’s a protest by the Affordable Ireland Campaign seeking “real action” on energy costs at Leinster House at 5.30pm
Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke and Minister of State Kevin “Boxer” Moran are in Longford, where the council is hosting a panel on Just Transition
President Catherine Connolly is hosting tea reception for carers at the Áras this afternoon.
