Moldovan delegation
The Chair briefly called Senator Horkan to welcome the Moldovan parliamentary delegation, and Horkan praised their visit and their efforts during the Ukrainian conflict.
With the permission of Senator Ahearn, I will call Senator Gerry Horkan, who has a meeting to go to with a delegation from Moldova.
Comment on this
I thank Senator Ahearn. I thank the Cathaoirleach for his welcome of the delegation of the Moldovan Parliament, including the Speaker, and it is the first time we have had the Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament in Ireland. It is a delegation of five parliamentarians from Moldova. As the convener of the Ireland-Romania parliamentary friendship group, and the convener of the Ireland-Moldova parliamentary friendship group, I want to welcome them here.
Comment on this
Has the Senator got Romania as well?
Comment on this
I do, actually, but that is a separate point. They are very close to each other.
It is very important that we acknowledge their trip here and that they have taken the time to come to visit us, to see what is going on here and to share their experiences. What Moldova is doing in terms of the Ukrainian conflict is enormous. It has a population of less than 3 million but it has taken more refugees and more people seeking protection than we have. We know how difficult it is to house the number we have, given the challenge of finding suitable buildings and so on, when they have nearly 100,000 people in their country, with a lot fewer financial resources than we have. It is important that we acknowledge all they are doing and to welcome the fact they have candidate status for the EU. We, in this Parliament, need to do as much as we can to bring them on the journey they need to be on. It is 50 years since we joined the EU and it is fair to say the EU has been far more positive than negative, and has transformed our country in many ways.
It would be very important that we have a debate in this House about how we might help Ukraine and Moldova, and, indeed, Georgia, but particularly Ukraine and Moldova, which have candidate status, and that we would see how we can bring them on the journey they need to go on. I want to mention that because the delegation is here today.