Tom Clonan: Irish alumina fuelling Russian weapons
Tom Clonan warns that large shipments of alumina from Ireland are being exported to Russia and argues these supplies are used in the manufacture of weapons, including components for Shahed drones. He also raises alarm about cluster munitions transiting Irish airspace ahead of an Irish UNIFIL deployment and demands government accountability.
Alumina exports from Limerick
Tom Clonan outlines figures from the floor noting 826,000 tonnes of alumina exported to Russia and an increase from 23% to 68% of alumina shipments from Limerick now going to Russia. He cites concerns that material sent to the Rusal smelter in Krasnoyarsk is used to produce high-quality aluminium bars for weapons manufacturing.
Weapons and humanitarian consequences
Clonan links alumina exports to the production of Shahed drones, missiles and other munitions, arguing that the metal supplied is contributing to systems killing Ukrainian civilians and combatants. He frames this as a contradiction with Ireland's stated support for Ukraine.
Cluster munitions and Irish troops
The speaker also highlights reporting that cluster munitions are being used in South Lebanon and warns that Ireland is facilitating the transit of such munitions through its airspace. He notes the risk to Irish personnel deploying with the 128th battalion to UNIFIL and questions government oversight.
Calls for answers from government
Clonan repeatedly asks why the Defence and Security Committee cannot fully probe these matters and requests Minister McEntee attend to explain government policy. He describes the situation as indicative of a wider lack of situational awareness on defence and security matters.
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And just to welcome all our guests in here today, I want to talk about aluminium. Aluminium, according to West Point and the Institute for Advanced Studies, aluminium is the foundational metal of war and we are exporting almost a billion tons of it to Russia. We have 826,000 tons of alumina being exported to Russia. We're Russia's largest exporters. And since the war started in Ukraine, Putin's criminal enterprise and his unparalleled savagery and brutality in Ukraine, the increase has been from 23% to 68% of all alumina exports from Limerick are going to Ukraine, sorry, going to Russia. And they are being sent to the Rusal smelter in Krasnoyarsk where they're manufacturing high quality aluminium bars for the production of Shahed drones and other munitions, missiles, hypersonic missiles. The aluminium that is being supplied by Ireland is providing the propulsion systems, the delivery systems, parts of the projectiles that are killing hundreds and thousands of Ukrainian men, women, and now civilians. And this week the government announced, well, if you're Ukrainian in Ireland and you want to maintain your refugee status, you have to show evidence of being self-supporting. Well, maybe they could go and work in the Ohanish alumina plant and help to produce the very ingredients for the weapons that are destroying their country. Now, there is an account on X called Dan the Shadow Tanker, and if you look at that, he's a concerned citizen who sets out in forensic detail the number of vessels, the shadow fleet, if you like, that are coming from Latvia and Lithuania and elsewhere and supplying this vital ingredient, this foundation of metal of war to the Russians. Like, where are we on this? Like, it's a completely contradictory position to say on the one hand we support Ukraine and at the same time facilitate the export of almost a billion tons of a vital component for Russia's weapon systems. I also want to talk about cluster munitions. The Guardian has reported that cluster munitions are being used in South Lebanon by the Israelis in the Wadi Zibkin, Barghuz, Dersyrian, and they are very close to where Irish troops are. And speaking of Limerick, the 128th battalion, 300 and more of our young men and women heading out to Lebanon for the final deployment to UNIFIL, and Ireland is facilitating the transit of those very cluster munitions through our airspace out to Lebanon where they could potentially injure or kill our troops. I mean, what other country in the European Union would facilitate the onward transmission of weapon systems through our air domain to harm our own troops? I mean, so both in the maritime domain with the export of this vital component for Russia's weapon systems, and in the air domain transiting weapons that could be used against our own troops, it shows the complete lack of situational awareness around military defence and security of the Irish government. And we as a national defence and security committee are not allowed to ask these questions. I'm blue in the face asking for a debate. Can we have Minister McEntee in here to explain why we as a security committee cannot ask the questions that need to be asked? This country is completely at sea when it comes to defence and security, and they want to get rid of the triple lock in the middle of this mess. You know, we really need to have that debate, Canor, and I hope you can facilitate it through your colleague, Minister McEntee.
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