A Government proposal to participate in a €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine is a “decisive step away” from Ireland’s position of military neutrality, the Dáil has heard.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee introduced the motion seeking Dáil approval for the State’s participation in enhanced EU co-operation on the establishment of a loan to cover two-thirds of Ukraine’s financing needs for the next two years.
It follows failed EU attempts to agree a €210 billion reparations loan to cover the war-torn country’s financial needs up to 2030.
Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty claimed it was a proposal “with the clear intention that the majority of that funding will be used for military purposes”.
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Sinn Féin and Independent Ireland amendments were voted down and the Dáil approved the proposal by 92 to 38 votes.
Ms McEntee said it was almost four years since “Russia’s unprovoked, unlawful and unjustifiable attack” on Ukraine.
Given its “imminent financing needs, it is absolutely critical that European financial supports are disbursed to Ukraine in the second quarter at the latest”.
She told TDs that drone and missile attacks targeting critical infrastructure have killed and injured citizens “and left millions without power or heating in the depths of winter”.
Since the start of the war in February 2022, Ireland had allocated more than €464.4 million to Ukraine and welcomed more than 123,700 people here fleeing the war.
[ Ukraine deal: EU leaders agree €90bn loan after frozen Russian assets plan failsOpens in new window ]
By participating in this proposal “Ireland will provide a clear signal of our continued support for and solidarity with Ukraine and our commitment to the security of our Continent”, Ms McEntee said.
The funding “is absolutely essential for Ukraine to be able to exercise its inherent right to self-defence, to support microfinance ability and to put in place the strongest position in peace negotiations”.
Mr Doherty said, however, that enhanced co-operation was designed as a last resort where unanimity could not be achieved, “not as a mechanism to discard checks and balances in order to push through €90 billion in loans primarily for defence expenditure”.
“This proposal allows the EU to borrow on capital markets” and commits participating countries “to billions of euro in debt-servicing costs for years to come, while neutrality concerns are treated as an inconvenience”.
Labour foreign affairs spokesman Duncan Smith said Ireland’s military “must always be protected from any dilution even as an inadvertent effect of well-intentioned steps to support a friend such as Ukraine”.
He said “we need to hear assurances from the Government that the mechanism we are looking at in this motion will be aligned with our policy of military neutrality”.
[ McEntee to attend ‘coalition of willing’ meeting on Ukraine war in ParisOpens in new window ]
Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan said “the loan should have been constructed in such a way as would specifically facilitate neutral countries like Ireland, making it explicitly clear that our contribution is to be used to finance civilian aid only”.
People Before Profit leader Richard Boyd Barrett said the EU’s motivation is “to militarise Europe, to exploit the tragedy of the Ukrainian people in order to militarise Europe and ratchet up military expenditure”.
“The Irish Government wants to be part of that. That is why it joined the Ukraine contact group, why it goes to Nato meetings and why it is trying to ratchet up military expenditure and undermine our neutrality,” he said.
Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins said it was not good enough for the Government to ask the House “to approve of an EU loan scheme without clear guarantees, proper safeguards or straight answers on where Irish taxpayers’ money might end up”.
Replying to the debate, Minister of State Marian Harkin said the Government “will ensure that the funding provided by Ireland is aligned with our well-established policy of military neutrality as it has been to date”.
