Danny Healy-Rae questions Ireland's share of 90 billion loan
Danny Healy-Rae challenged a proposed international loan tied to a 90 billion package, saying he is unsure how much Ireland would commit and expressing concern about implications for Irish neutrality. He called for clearer information, a fuller debate and assurances on repayment and interest.
Key concerns
Danny Healy-Rae warned that the loan proposal is vague, saying he does not know how much of the 90 billion Ireland would borrow and that the State could be tied into large financial obligations. He raised the question of whether involvement would implicate Ireland in the conflict and interfere with the country’s neutrality.
Transparency and information gaps
He criticised the lack of written material and briefings, saying he could not find a speech from the minister and that he only learned of the matter the day before. He demanded clarity on the exact Irish commitment, timetables, assurances on repayment and whether interest will be returned to taxpayers.
Domestic pressures and public reaction
He spoke about domestic strains including high cost of living, hospital trolley crises, deteriorating infrastructure, housing evictions, and local water and treatment deficits in places such as Kinmear and over 40 settlements. He said constituents have been contacting him urgently since the proposal became public.
Previous aid and policy implications
He noted Ireland’s recent payment of 125 million to President Zelensky and questioned further involvement, referencing claims that funds could be seized from Russian assets or devices after the war. He urged further debate before committing large sums and voiced strong concern about the long-term prospects for recovering any loaned money.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Thank you very much. That's your call. I suppose I'm very, very concerned about this departure and about this loan and 90 million and that we're going to be tied into it and there's important questions. We're here at the behest of the people that elected us and to account for their welfare and that their taxpayers' money is properly spent and we're accountable for it. I haven't been taught anywhere how much is Ireland committing, how much of a part of the 90 billion are we borrowing. I didn't see any speech written out there by the Minister and it's hard to take it in just as someone is talking but there was no written, I've been down there to look for a speech by the Minister and it's not there. This is very, very vague and like others have asked here, will it implicate us in the war and interfere with our neutrality. We're only a small little country on the edge of Europe and we're in tough financial times at the present time. Every man, woman and child is to the pin of their collar trying to survive and the cost of living has gone exorbitantly high. Our hospitals, trolleys, every day is a matter of fact. Our infrastructure is in a terrible way. Housing, so many people are getting notices to quit and all the different problems that we have, we don't have water in Kinmear for to build 170 houses and there's so many parts of our county, there's over 40 settlements that don't have treatment plans or proper treatment plans. We gave President Zelensky 125 million a couple of weeks ago and I need to know how much, how much is Ireland committing to, is it a quarter, is it a third of the 90 billion? It's a serious figure anyway and we need to be taught exactly, we need to have a proper debate and an understanding. I mean, this, this, the first time I knew about this was yesterday and I mean, if we're to give away a lot of money to this war and look, we know the Russians have done wrong but we're neutral and we can't do anything about the Russians, we can't attack them and there's a, there's some agendom here that, that the money will be taken out of Russia's phones or whatever when the war is over. There was a lot of talk by Wanderlein over the last number of weeks that she was going to take the money out of the Russian phones as they were, this is the new notion now to get us involved in it, why don't she take that money if she's woman enough to do that, why implicate us? I'm very concerned, Minister, that, that where this will lead us to, how much we're involving, we need to know more and I, I'm so concerned about it and, and, and so, I've got so many calls already since, since morning, since, since it became, and, and, and, and, we got noticed that this was going to take place here this evening and, and, and, we need to be informed a lot more further as to what assurances, will we get our money back, when will we get it back, we'll, we'll, we get interest with it, we didn't cause the war and, we, when we, when we, when we pack this money here or sign our name to this loan, we've no more to do with it, only hope that someone will give it back to us and I can't see that happening because, as every day goes on and we're going into another spring, this war is going to continue and we, we'll be that longer without our money and maybe, and maybe longer than we, that we, that we, so long that we'll never get it. I'm glad, I, I think we need to debate this a lot further and, and know what we're getting into. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
