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LAST UPDATE | 30 Jan
TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS has said he was “horrified” to see that Sinn Féin voted against a motion that sought to allow Ireland contribute to an EU loan of €90 billion for Ukraine.
During the week, Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty said that instead of billions of euros being loaned to Ukraine, the government should be giving it to those in Ireland who are crippled by the cost of living crisis.
During the Dáil debate on motion, Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty said:
“At a time when families in Ireland are crippled by the cost of living crisis, and after a budget that gave ordinary workers nothing, this government are proposing that billions of euros are given to Ukraine for weapons of war.
“I’d rather see that money being invested in public services and cost of living supports across the European Union than in buying weapons of war €90 billion delivered for Ukraine with the clear intention that the majority of that funding will be used for military purposes.”
At a time when people are being crushed by the cost of living, and after a budget that left ordinary workers behind, this government wants Ireland and the EU to commit billions to Ukraine to weapons of war.
— Pearse Doherty (@PearseDoherty) January 28, 2026
That money would be far better invested in public services and improving… pic.twitter.com/elYOxHMZDs
Speaking in Croatia today, where is attending a meeting of the European Peoples’ Party (EPP), Harris criticised Sinn Féin, stating he was ”rather horrified” to see Sinn Féin opposed to the loan to Ukraine.
“I think that’s a very significant development that has kind of gone nearly unnoticed in Ireland. So I think we really need to ask questions about that. I thought there was a political consensus on Ukraine, in Ireland, about supporting Ukraine.
“You can’t just support Ukraine with words. You’ve got to support it with money as well. We’ve got to be willing to put that level of funding in place. The only people that I could see opposing the support for Ukraine was Vladimir Putin, Hungary and now, unfortunately, the opposition party in Ireland,” Harris said.
The Tánaiste went on say that he wanted the people of Ukraine to know the Irish people stand full stead behind Ukraine for as long as it takes.
“I was really disappointed to see that breakdown and what I thought was a degree of political consensus around Ukraine in Ireland this week,” he added. Harris is not the only government politician to take aim at Sinn Féin on the issue.
Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews told The Journal today that he was shocked by the comments and accused Sinn Féin of “making a launch for populist rhetoric and a populist narrative about Ukraine”.
He said:
I think it’s absolute nonsense.
“Ireland and Irish people stand square behind Ukraine. I think we’re all in awe of their resilience, their toughness,” said Andrews who highlighted that right now, it is -15 degrees in Ukraine and the energy infrastructures have been targeted on a daily basis by Russia.
“So our thoughts are with Ukrainian people. I want to completely dissociate myself with the remarks that Pearse Doherty had to make, and it’s really, really regrettable.”
Another government representative also criticised Doherty online.
Neale Richmond, the Fine Gael Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora said the Sinn Féin deputy’s words “still blows my mind”.
“All those speeches from Sinn Féin over the past three years on Ukraine in the Dáil, their protests at the Russian embassy, the badges and the selfies…. Ireland stands with Ukraine, Sinn Féin does not.”
During the debate this week on the loan to Ukraine, questions were asked by Kerry TD Danny Healy Rae about what proportion Ireland would be paying towards the €90 billion.
Other opposition parties, such as Labour, also had questions about the loan mechanism and how Ireland will ensure that whatever monies are given over that they will align with our policy of neutrality.
Duncan Smith, Labour’s foreign affairs spokesperson said commitments at the defence committee were given that Ireland has had visibility on how every euro given to Ukraine has been spent to ensure it has been spent on humanitarian or non-lethal aid.
“There is certainly a distance between our position and support for Ukraine and Sinn Fein’s. This evidenced not only by this week’s vote on further financial supports for Ukraine but also Sinn Fein’s previous votes in relation to supports for Ukrainian refugees fleeing war to Ireland.
Labour would have a longer and more definite history of solidarity with European nations and the EU more broadly than Sinn Fein,” said Smith.
Social Democrats deputy leader, Cian O Callaghan said the EU loan facility, which was voted on in the Dáil this week, is “essential” so Ukraine can continue to provide services and repair critical infrastructure, like power plants.
“In our view, the loan facility should have been broken up into separate streams, for military and non-military use, and it is regrettable this was not done.”
He said it must be noted, however, that the EU is a lender of last resort for Ukraine – stating they have nowhere else to go to get this funding.
“A rejection of this loan would condemn people in Ukraine to enormous suffering and almost certain occupation by Russia,” he added.
During the debate on the loan this week, Sinn Féin’s Donnacha O’Laoghaire said his party has supported and continue to support assistance to Ukraine for civilian, humanitarian and non-military purposes, but he argued that the €90 billion loan is for the most part a loan for military purposes.
“This is difficult to square with our position as a militarily neutral State. The EU was never meant to be a military alliance,” he added. He added that Sinn Féin are clear where the fault lies and who is the aggressor, stating it is Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation.
“We should continue to offer that political and diplomatic support and where it is required humanitarian and civilian support in practical ways but it must be in a manner consistent with our neutrality,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the government this week, Minister of State Marian Harkin said since the onset of the war in February 2022, Ireland’s total allocation support to Ukraine has amounted to over €464 million, which has been used for humanitarian assistance and non-lethal military support for Ukraine.
Responding to concerns raised about the Ireland’s contribution to the €90 billion loan and what it will be used for, Harkin said the government will ensure that the funding provided by Ireland is aligned with “our well-established policy of military neutrality as it has been to date”.
While the December European Council agreed the €90 billion loan, it was not possible to get agreement across all 27 member states with Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia opting to not participate.
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