European Union
Dail Éireann — 2026-10-01
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Seán Ó Fearghaíl (FF), Kildare South

Deputy Barry Ward asked earlier about diplomatic missions. The Minister of State referred to Serbia and the fact that we have a new mission there. I want to echo what has been said about our diplomats. The finest people we have in our Irish public service are to be found in the diplomatic corps, serving this country as great patriots throughout the world. I have never failed to be impressed by them. I want to ask, however, about the situation in Serbia because the death of Ratko Mladić raised certain issues from the past. There appeared to be a willingness in Serbia, a candidate country, to make a fuss and commemorate the man's death. He was a war criminal. Former President Vučić did not attend his funeral but a number of ministers did. Did the behaviour of people in the Serbian Government raise questions about whether Serbia is, in fact, today embracing the spirit and values of the EU?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-10-01/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-10-05T01:01:00+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-10-01