Independent TD for Offaly Carol Nolan has said she believes that “no additional funding should be allocated to Ukraine from hard pressed Irish taxpayers without first subjecting such potential funding to a vote of the entire Dáil.”
Deputy Nolan, who says she opted not to attend the address by President Volodymyr Zelensky to a joint session of the Houses of the Oireachtas this week, said ongoing concerns around systemic corruption at the highest level of the Ukrainian administration have confirmed her in her view that “it is time to apply a far more rigorous level of democratic scrutiny” to where Irish taxpayer funding is going.
The Offaly TD’s remarks come as Government confirmed that before President Zelensky’s visit, Ireland had provided €340 million in financial support to Ukraine, including over €173 million in humanitarian supports, and €166 million in non-lethal military assistance.
During this week’s visit by the Ukrainian President, it was also confirmed that a further €100 million in funding for non-lethal military assistance, and another €25 million to help Ukraine support its energy system has been sanctioned.
Taoiseach Micheál Marin said: “I am pleased to announce that we will provide a further €100 million in funding for non-lethal military assistance, and another €25 million to help Ukraine support its energy system.
Russia is deliberately and cynically targeting energy plants and infrastructure in Ukraine, knowing how difficult winter can be and hoping to weaken the resolve of the Ukrainian people.
We are making our contribution to help ensure that Putin does not win.
However, Deputy Nolan said that her “clear sense from talking to people is that they have reached the end of their generosity in terms of Ukraine.”
“Indeed, there is a growing discontent around the fact that there seems to be an endless pot of money for Ukraine while our own people can’t even get an energy credit to cover their rip off bills. This, at the same time that the Ukrainian energy system can get €25million overnight without any input from elected representatives, or any opportunity to debate the issue,” she added.
“Only in the last few days we have witnessed reports of how senior Ukrainian government figures, including two ministers, a former deputy prime minister and a one-time business partner of President Zelensky’s were accused of misappropriating $100m from public projects in the energy sector. The same energy sector that we have just handed €25million to. It beggars’ belief,” she said.
“I am aware that any Dáil vote on gifting Ukraine another couple of hundred million would pass, but that does not mean we should avoid critical scrutiny. Put it on the Dáil schedule; let the people have their say. Government may be surprised what it hears back from the Irish taxpayer,” Deputy Nolan said.
Last month, President Zelensky vowed to “overhaul” state-owned energy companies, after a major corruption scandal engulfed the country’s energy sector, BBC reported.
Around $100 million (£76m) has been embezzled, anti-graft investigators said, causing outrage in a country where Russian attacks have resulted in crippling power outages.
But then, 6 days ago, Zelensky’s chief of staff and closest ally who was always seen at the President’s side, Andriy Yermak, resigned after anti-corruption agencies in Ukraine conducted searches at his apartment.
Announcing the further funding to Ukraine this week, an Taoiseach said: “Russia is deliberately and cynically targeting energy plants and infrastructure in Ukraine, knowing how difficult winter can be and hoping to weaken the resolve of the Ukrainian people. We are making our contribution to help ensure that Putin does not win.”