Sinn Féin’s two MEPs are set to vote against a €90 billion European Union loan to war-torn Ukraine when the proposal comes before the European Parliament on Wednesday.
If approved, the loan would provide funding for Ukraine for 2026 and 2027 as it continues to resist the Russian invasion. Of the overall amount, €30 billion would be for general financial support with €60 billion going on military equipment.
The proposal is expected to be passed by the European Parliament by a comfortable margin. MEPs from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael plan to vote in favour of the loan.
Sinn Féin MEP Kathleen Funchion confirmed both she and fellow MEP Lynn Boylan will vote against the measure.
Funchion said Sinn Féin continues to support the provision of humanitarian aid to Ukraine but the proposed €90 billion EU loan was “primarily for military expenditure”. This, she said, “undermines Ireland’s neutrality”.
Sinn Féin opposed the loan when Ireland’s participation was voted on in the Dáil last month.
The party’s finance spokesman and TD for Donegal, Pearse Doherty, argued at the time that while “families in Ireland are crippled by the cost-of-living crisis” the Government was “proposing that billions of euro are given to Ukraine for weapons of war”. Doherty said he would “rather see that money being invested in public services and cost-of-living supports” across the EU. He also said “neutrality was being hollowed out”.
On Tuesday, Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Cowen criticised Sinn Féin’s stance, arguing its opposition to the loan rests on “misleading” and “populist” claims that “it somehow takes money from Irish families” and “drags Ireland into funding so-called weapons of war”.
He said: “This measure does not divert funding from housing, health or public services, nor does it place a financial burden on Irish households.
“Ireland is neither transferring funds from its own budget nor underwriting an open-ended commitment.”
Doherty rejected Cowen’s suggestion Sinn Féin made populist claims.
He said: “The issue is not whether a cheque is written tomorrow from the Irish Exchequer, but whether Ireland is being committed … to long-term financial liabilities, debt-servicing costs and political alignment with an EU military financing framework.
“That has real trade-offs in terms of priorities across the Union, particularly at a time when millions of families are struggling.” He added that “to say those choices exist in separate silos is simply not credible”.
Cowen described Sinn Féin’s neutrality argument as “flawed and cynical”, saying: “Supporting Ukraine is about upholding the right of a sovereign country to protect its civilians … while drawing a clear moral line between defence and aggression. Neutrality was never meant to mean moral indifference.”
Doherty hit back, saying: “Ireland’s neutrality is not about moral indifference, nor does it prevent us from standing firmly against aggression or supporting victims of war. What it does mean is that Ireland does not participate in military alliances or in the financing of war.”
He said Sinn Féin had proposed an amendment in the Dáil seeking to “see all of this loan provide for humanitarian assistance in Ukraine”. He accused Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael of voting “for a proposal that would see the majority of this loan funding weapons of war.”
During a Dáil debate, the Government made the case for Ireland’s participation. Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said the financial support was “absolutely essential” for Ukraine’s self-defence, to support its finances and put it in a strong position for peace negotiations.
Minister of State Marian Harkin said the Government “will ensure the funding provided by Ireland is aligned with our well-established policy of military neutrality”.
Sinn Féin’s amendment was voted down and the Dáil approved the proposal to participate in the EU initiative.
On Tuesday, Independent MEP Luke Ming Flanagan also confirmed he would vote against the loan while Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly said he was voting in favour.