BLUE AND YELLOW dress attire was dotted through the Dáil chamber this morning as TDs and senators took to their seats for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address to the joint Houses of the Oireachtas.
Ministers Heather Humphreys, Helen McEntee, Hildegarde Naughten, Josepha Madigan and TDs and senators such as Niamh Smyth, Mary Fitzpatrick and Fiona O’Loughlin were just a few who wore a combination of blue and yellow blazers, skirts and scarves.
Others in the chamber, such as People Before Profit’s Bríd Smith and Gino Kenny, as well as Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald, wore white for peace.
It is a rare occasion that members of the Dáil and Seanad come together to hear an address, with speakers in the past including John F Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, Tony Blair and Nancy Pelosi.
Blue and yellow flowers were placed just outside the chamber doors. Ambassadors to Ireland from other nations filled the public gallery. Refugees holding small Ukrainian flags were also seated high above the Dáil chamber.
‘Ukraine Day’
A ‘Ukraine Day’ menu was also on offer in the Dáil canteen, which included borscht soup, shynka (baked ham), honey babkas and of course, chicken Kyiv.
The atmosphere was highly charged when Zelenskyy’s face appeared on the screens located on either side of the press gallery above the Ceann Comhairle’s seat, where members of the media sit.
To the right of one of the monitors sat the Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland Gerasko Larysa, her staff and a number of refugees who were invited to today’s events.
Zelenskyy opened his address by describing Russia’s actions against Ukraine, saying it is destroying things that are sustaining people’s livelihoods like storage facilities for food, fuel and agricultural equipment, as well as putting mines in fields.
The voice of a translator boomed over the speakers as the president directly referenced Ireland’s response to the invasion.
“Even though you are a neutral country, you have not remained neutral to the disaster and mishaps Russia has brought to Ukraine,” he said.
“I am grateful to you. To every citizen in Ireland, thank you for supporting sanctions against Russia.”
He also thanked the Irish people for their humanitarian donations and thanked Ireland for “caring for Ukrainian people who found shelter on your land”.
In what appeared to be a plea to leaders, he urged Ireland to convince the EU to roll out more sanctions against Russia.
His final words: “I’m grateful to Ireland. Slava Ukraini.”
A standing ovation followed with a long applause by most in the Dáil. A woman seated near the Ukrainian ambassador in the special guest seating box looked visibly upset and moved.
Neutrality
Following the speech, Ceann Comhairle Sean O’Fearghail thanked the president for his words, stating that Ireland is not politically neutral.
He said Ireland would not stand idly by during the conflict. Ukrainian refugees can stay as long as they need a home, he said, something that prompted “hear hear” from the crowd.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, wearing a blue and yellow ribbon, responded to Zelenskyy’s speech by saying: “Ireland is resolute in our solidarity and support for Ukraine.”
Ireland is militarily neutral but not politically or morally neutral “in the face of war crimes”, Martin continued.
He also said that refugees will find a safe harbour and friendship in Ireland “for as long as you need it”.
“We stand with Ukraine,” said the Taoiseach, which prompted a Ukrainian woman in the special seating next to the Ukrainian ambassador to shout out emotionally in support of his words.
Zelenskyy’s face disappeared from the screens as Tánaiste Leo Varadkar took to his feet. The Fine Gael leader hit out against Russia, saying the country had attacked one of its nearest neighbours. He also said this was something that will never be forgiven or forgotten.
“We have no quarrel with the people of Russia,” he said, and commended those in the country protesting against their Government, words which received a round of applause.
Another round of applause followed when Senator David Norris cheered Green Party leader Eamon Ryan’s remarks, which called for stopping the flow of fossil fuels from Russia.
Mary Lou McDonald, wearing a white suit jacket, a pin with the Ireland/Ukraine flags and an Easter lily pin, stood to her feet and called for the expulsion of Russia’s Ambassador to Ireland Yuriy Filatov.
A smattering of TDs on the Government backbenches applauded her calls.
Noting Russia’s efforts to claim that evidence of atrocities in Bucha and elsewhere in Ukraine were fabricated, McDonald said: “The Russian ambassador wants us to ignore the evidence before our very eyes.”
Condemn all warmongers
People Before Profit’s Richard Boyd Barrett said he stood with Ukraine but added that Ireland can have no credibility in its condemnation of Russia when it refuses to do the same with other countries and alliances engaged in war, such as the US, UK and NATO.
He said he was “duty bound” to call out this double standard, saying the conflict should not be used to increase Ireland’s militarism.
Ireland must oppose all war mongers “whether western or Russian”, he said, with his remarks getting applause from some in the Opposition benches.
Independent TD Cathal Berry, a former member of the Defence Forces, told the chamber that the only way for the conflict to end is for the Russian military to be defeated.
He said that there are anti-tank rockets nearing the end of their shelf life in the Curragh camp, and called for these to be sent to Ukraine.
His comments resulted in a loud outburst of applause from a group of Ukrainians sitting in the public gallery.
Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, Senator Mark Daly, concluding remarks to both Houses of the Oireachtas following the address by the President of Ukraine #seeforyourself @SenatorMarkDaly pic.twitter.com/QJSJlx73PP
— Houses of the Oireachtas - Tithe an Oireachtais (@OireachtasNews) April 6, 2022
One of more emotional contributions of the day came from Chair of the Seanad, Senator Mark Daly.
He asked his colleagues to join with him in welcoming five-year-old Anastasiia to the Dáil. The Ukrainian girl, with pigtails tied up in pink ribbons, was seated with her mother Yana.
The young child sat quietly, looking on throughout the entire proceedings this morning, seated just behind the Ukrainian ambassador.
“Anastasiia’s dad, like thousands of others, is back in Ukraine in a defence unit in Kyiv, fighting to keep it free and independent for his daughter’s future,” Daly told the chamber.
“You have travelled over 4,000 kilometres from Kyiv to Dublin, having to leave your home under Russian artillery fire. We cannot imagine what you have gone through.”
Two months ago, 5-year-old Anastasiia Semonova was going to school in Donetsk.
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) April 6, 2022
Today she met the Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Ukraine's ambassador Larysa Gerasko after attending a joint Oireachtas sitting addressed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
(📸Maxwells/Oireachtas) pic.twitter.com/eqjPwOzyuG
Anastasiia, in her innocence, stood with her mother as politicians applauded her.
As proceedings ended this morning, politicians and attendees emptied out of the chamber. Before leaving, many stopped to pay their respects to the refugees that attended today, as well as to the ambassador.
“We cannot imagine how it must feel to have your future so suddenly become so uncertain,” concluded Daly.
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