Paul Hosford: A colourful but sombre occasion as Zelenskyy addresses Dáil
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is given a standing ovation after addressing the Dáil and Seanad on Wednesday. Picture: Maxwells/PA Wire
Slava Ukraini. Glory to Ukraine.
Speaker after speaker in the Dáil chamber echoed the sentiment, but in truth, there was little glorious about the reasoning for the packed house.
Addressing the Dáil and Seanad together via Zoom, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy looked every bit a man whose country has been besieged by its superpower neighbour for more than 40 days.
That Mr Zelenskyy could not be heard over the software — his interpreter's voice able to convey the message but not the emotion — made this an even more surreal sight.
Across the Dáil chamber, TDs and senators were bedecked in their yellows and blues, Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys and Arts Minister Catherine Martin had theirs, Labour Senator Annie Hoey had her yellow suit, while the men accented blue suits with yellow ties.
Some of those ties were procured at haste over the weekend from Roscommon, with the county's GAA board coming up with a supply of matching colours. Some of those wearing them had neglected to hide the county crest from the tipping, but the solidarity was what mattered.
Still, despite the colour on show, this was not a festive occasion and the small mass of Ukrainian schoolchildren at the gates of Leinster House singing their country's national anthem was a stark and timely reminder of that.
Inside the chamber, there was nary a seat to be found as senators joined their lower house colleagues and Seanad Cathaoirleach Mark Daly sat beside Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl, each in the aforementioned Rossies ties.
When the Ceann Comhairle called the session to order, Mr Zelenskyy popped up on screens around the chamber from the white room with which the international community is all too familiar at this point. He has pleaded with leaders in over 20 countries for support, armed and financial, and he reiterated his pleas here.
"The people of Ireland have been supporting good and supporting Ukraine since the very first days," he said.
"This is a fact," he added, but asked for more help where Ireland could.
"We want you to help us to make sure that Russia will start looking for peace and leave us alone. I ask you to show more leadership in our anti-war coalition. I ask you to convince EU partners to introduce even more rigid sanctions against Russia that would really make sure that the Russian war machine will stop."
Watch LIVE coverage now of the Joint Sitting of Dáil & Seanad Éireann as the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addresses both Houses - view on Twitter, Facebook & on the #OireachtasTV channel #seeforyourselfhttps://t.co/q7cBqPIhjo https://t.co/tIhXupzTv9
— Houses of the Oireachtas - Tithe an Oireachtais (@OireachtasNews) April 6, 2022
Even coming through an interpreter, it was impossible to mistake the words of a man desperate for help, for some sign of support, for peace.
And, yet, coming through the video link, it was easy to still think of this as some far-off war, a world away from our own. If any thought of that lingered after Mr Zelenskyy logged off, Seanad chair Mark Daly ensured the reality of the Russian barbarism was hammered home.
"I ask colleagues to join me in welcoming five-year-old Anastasiia to the parliament of our Republic," he said, directing eyes to a group of Ukrainians in the Distinguished Visitors gallery to his left.
There, almost obliviously, stood a young girl, her pigtails adorned with pink bows, and her mother. As Mr Daly became somewhat emotional, it was impossible not to think of Anastasiia's life just eight weeks ago, where she was likely the same as any child of that age. Now, she is in a strange land while her father fights in a defence unit some 4,000km away.
If the screens and headsets made Kyiv feel far away, Anastasiia's presence was a reminder of what this war is doing and will continue to do.
When Taoiseach Micheál Martin's time to speak came, he assured Mr Zelenskyy that he and his government would do all it could to welcome and care for his countrymen — "our home is your home" — but acknowledged that those at the most desperate edges of the war cannot wait.
Until then, Slava Ukraini. Glory to Ukraine.
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