I thank the Ceann Comhairle for facilitating the inclusion of those of us who were late for the debate. It is far from ideal that the debate on the motion is being rushed, but we will support it.
Last Friday, 24 February, was a grim milestone, marking one year since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. I had the opportunity once again to show the support of the Social Democrats to the hundreds of mostly Ukrainian people who had gathered outside the General Post Office, GPO. Russia’s invasion and its ultimate goal of annexation are not solely a physical attack but also an attack on Ukraine’s status as a sovereign nation in complete violation of international law. Not only is civic infrastructure being targeted, including hospitals, schools and houses, but civilians have been tortured, sexually abused and murdered in huge numbers. More than half of all children in Ukraine have been forced from their homes, which is staggering. The lasting consequences this war will have for generations of Ukrainian people are difficult to fathom. People have lost their livelihoods, homes, communities, childhoods and loved ones. The true scale of the suffering inflicted on the Ukrainian people will not be clear for years to come. When this war ends, and it will end, countless issues will remain to be addressed, such as the prosecution of war crimes, reparations and funding the cost of rebuilding Ukraine. The sanctions against Russia are not likely to end soon. They were put in place for clear reasons, namely, to deny Russia the ability to fund and arm its invasion and to make it abundantly clear that there is an economic cost for illegally invading a sovereign state.
The Business Post reported recently that despite the severe sanctions that have been placed on trade with Russia, the trade figures between Russia and Ireland have been hardly impacted at all. Exports from Ireland to Russia for the first 11 months of 2021 amounted to €559 million, while the figure for the same period in 2022 was €519 million. I have to query why this number has remained static. A large portion of the trade between us and Russia comprises exports from Aughinish Alumina. That plant is operated by Rusal International, which is controlled by the Russia-registered En+ Group. Mr. Oleg Deripaska, a Kremin-linked oligarch, holds a stake of about 45% in that group. Despite claims early last year that Aughinish was going to separate from its parent company, nothing has happened, to my knowledge, and I would welcome the Minister of State's comment on that. Earlier this month, Ukraine confiscated more than 300 assets linked to Mr. Deripaska and Rusal, including a large alumina plant, under its own domestic sanctions. Will the Government explain why we are taking a different approach? Allowing individuals or companies to get away with violating sanctions is insulting to people throughout this country who have seen their energy costs sky-rocket over the past year. The European Commission has stated, “In practice, very few individuals or legal persons responsible for the violation of union restrictive measures are effectively held accountable".
Every member state has to be proactive in enforcing these sanctions, freezing and seizing assets, and closing every possible loophole. If sanctions are to work, they have to cut off the finance that fuels the war. The spiralling fuel costs as a result of these sanctions have underscored just how insecure our energy supply is, and have highlighted that energy we can develop at home, namely renewable energy, is the necessary path for our climate and for national security.
I also want to refer to the double standards in the application of sanctions. I support the points made by Deputy Boyd Barrett. This has shown how sanctions are not consistent and we have to look at the cause and effect of the arming of Saudi Arabia in the war in Yemen, for instance, and the impacts we see every day on the Palestinian people. It is really important not only that we say this here but also that the message on this glaring inconsistency goes to our European partners.
