Irish politicians are fond of pontificating on international events from Gaza to Ukraine. But, as they are now beginning to discover, taking the high moral ground is not so easy when it potentially threatens the national interest.

The controversy over the Aughinish Alumina plant is a case in point. The Government rightly denounced the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the start and vocally backed the EU’s policy of imposing sanctions on the aggressor.

In recent months, however, serious questions have arisen over whether the alumina refinery on the Shannon estuary is actually helping the Russian war effort and contributing to the deaths of thousands of Ukrainians.

EU high representative for foreign affairs Kaja Kallas met Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Tuesday to discuss the issue. While she was polite about her concerns, saying it was important to get the facts straight on Aughinish, it is clear that exports of alumina to Russia, as reported by The Irish Times, are causing concern at EU level.

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