I was waiting for both of them to stop.

President Zelenskyy's visit to Ireland yesterday was cut short due to another deadly attack on Ukraine. At least 17 people were killed and more than 50 injured overnight after missiles rained down on Kyiv. As we speak, emergency workers are at a collapsed nine-storey apartment searching for survivors in rubble. This is the biggest attack on Kyiv since the war began. The mayor has declared a day of mourning tomorrow to remember those killed.

This has been the reality of life in Ukraine for more than four years now - death, destruction and devastation from attacks by Russia. According to an independent investigation, some of the weapons used in those attacks are made with raw materials manufactured in Ireland. Yesterday, President Zelenskyy said as much. He criticised the EU's failure to sanction companies still under the effective control of Russian oligarchs. He said: "Every tonne of raw material that ends up in Russia is used against us in this war."

In March, The Irish Times published details of an extensive investigation it carried out with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. It revealed that alumina produced in Ireland is being used by Russia to manufacture weapons that are killing Ukrainians. The Government is fully aware of this but has refused to act on the evidence. Instead, it has commissioned its own inquiry into the matter. How much evidence does the Government need? What exactly is it looking for?

The foot dragging by the Government is in sharp contrast to the actions of the Australians. They did not need to conduct any investigation before they acted back in 2022. As soon as Putin invaded Ukraine, they banned all exports of alumina to Russia. They did not want to be complicit in the murder of men, women and children in Ukraine. More than four years later, exports of alumina from Ireland have at least doubled and the Government is still burying its head in the sand and refusing to do what everybody knows is needed. It needs to ban the export of alumina to Russia.

These delaying tactics are not just immoral and damaging to Ireland's international reputation. They have made the risk to the almost 500 jobs at Aughinish Alumina much worse. When Putin invaded Ukraine more than four years ago, 23% of exports from the plant went to Russia. That figure has at least doubled since then, if not tripled. If the Government is scrambling around trying to find alternative markets for the company, that work is now much more difficult.

The Government cannot keep beating its chest about support for Ukraine in public while, in private, it knowingly facilitates the export of alumina to Russia, which is ending up in weapons that are killing Ukrainians. I ask the Tánaiste to be specific in answering my questions. When will the Government's investigation be completed, what kind of evidence is it looking for that it does not already have and when will it stop this pretence and ban the export of alumina to Russia?

I thank the Deputy. The first thing we must do here is be very careful in our language. There is no pretence from the Government of Ireland to the people of Ireland or any party in this House in relation to the horrific, illegal and brutal war Russia is carrying out on Ukraine. President Zelenskyy certainly did not feel any pretence when he was here yesterday; quite the opposite, in fact. We decided as a country, as we decided as a Government, that we wanted to be joined here in Ireland by President Zelenskyy on the first day of our Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which we were, to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine and support for his courage and the inspiration he is providing to his own people and, indeed, to all Europeans.

This country and this Government have acted in support of Ukraine and the people of Ukraine at every opportunity. We need only look at the number of people we have supported in terms of refuge, with the opening of homes and hearths, the amount of financial assistance we are giving and the support we provide to Ukraine in terms of its journey towards European Union membership. While there is a legitimate issue of importance here, it can in no way muddy the waters in terms of the very clear, consistent and unequivocal stance taken by the people of Ireland and the Government of Ireland, which, I think, reflects the political consensus in the Oireachtas, in terms of support for Ukraine. I join the Deputy in condemning the horrific attack on Kyiv last night. It is just another reminder that Putin has no interest in peace and, therefore, we must continue the process in terms of sanctions and hurting the Russian economy where it matters by applying maximum pressure to Putin and his regime to end this brutal and illegal war.

In relation to Aughinish Alumina, the first thing to say is that it is the European Commission, not EU member states, that proposes sanctions. The Commission proposes sanctions and member states ultimately vote on those packages of sanctions. The Government has supported every single package of sanctions. We believe in sanctions. We have had 21 packages of sanctions in regard to Russia and I hope we can see the development during our Presidency of a 22nd package of sanctions.

We need to establish the facts in respect of Aughinish Alumina. I think President Zelenskyy understands that. Indeed, I think he appreciates the work that is being carried out in that regard. This issue would have been discussed when he met yesterday with the Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy McEntee. The European Commission is being kept fully plugged in to the information coming out of the investigation. My understanding is that the investigation is nearing finalisation. I do not want to cut across that process. I again make the point, which I made this morning, that I do not think it is a binary choice, which the Deputy is not suggesting it is, between supply chains and sanctions. We have seen time and again that Europe has had to diversify and find workarounds and other ways. We are very clear in our minds and in our position that we cannot cherry-pick when it comes to sanctions.

What we are doing is establishing the facts. We have received information from a variety of sources, including the Ukrainian Government. We are plugged in with the European Commission. That information is now being stress-tested and I expect the process to come to a conclusion very shortly.

We will keep the European Commission fully briefed. Ultimately, it will be the European Commission and not the Irish Government that will decide whether to propose sanctions or not on a company or individual.

Australia acted more than four years ago, as soon as Putin invaded Ukraine, because it did want to have anything to do with the supply of raw material to Putin's war machine. It was abundantly clear to Australia that it needed to act and it did so. More than four years later, the Government has not acted. That is despite the growing evidence staring the Government in the face. Exports of alumina from Ireland since the invasion began have at least doubled, if not tripled. According to Swedish tax authorities, the plant in Aughinish is controlled by a Russian oligarch who is a supporter and close ally of Putin. We had the independent investigation published in March showing that alumina going from Ireland was being sent to Russia to smelters where it was making aluminium that was then being used by the Russian military. What more evidence does the Government need before it acts? When will it act on this? When will it stop these exports? When will it take the kind of action that is needed to show that we actually do as a country stand in solidarity with Ukraine in everything we do?

Australia is obviously not in the European Union, so it has taken its own decisions on measures and sanctions imposed on Russia. We have imposed sanctions as part of the European Union, not on one, two or three occasions, but on 21 occasions. We have been very clear that, during the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, we want to work with other member states on developing further sanctions. Be it from a defence, security or economic point of view, the best way of having impact on Putin is through financial sanctions. We remain absolutely committed and resolute on that. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, will be working with her colleagues through the Foreign Affairs Council, FAC. The Taoiseach, everyone else and I will be working to continue to maximise the pressure on Russia.

Alumina has not been classified as a dual-use product. There has been on many occasions, as the Deputy will remember, information around the plant in Limerick. On many occasions, it has been assessed by Europe and the US and the assurances given have been satisfactory at the time. The Deputy is right that new information has come into the public domain. That is not an investigation in itself. It has to be investigated and facts have to be established. We, as a member state, are providing the maximum amount of information and facts to the European Commission. It will be the European Commission that will decide whether sanctions should be imposed on any company. Let not the word go out in any way contradictory to this from this national Parliament: the people of Ireland deplore the actions of Putin, as does this Government, and we will take every step we can to support the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes.