Republican News · Thursday 27 March 2002

Biggest threat to Irish neutrality is government's own policy

Speaking during a debate in the Dáil on the EU Council statement on Iraq on Tuesday, Sinn Féin spokesperson on International Affairs, Aengus Ó Snodaigh said that "the biggest threat to Irish neutrality today is this government's own policy.

"The EU Council and indeed this government may be more comfortable talking about a mop-up job, but the war is still on and people are dying. The role and responsibility of this Government is at issue, and I am not bothered if it makes the Taoiseach squirm to be pinned down as to his position."

The Dublin South Central TD said: "This government has brought shame on the Irish people with its support for this illegal war. This government should have done the right thing when it was on the UN Security Council, and it should be doing the right thing in both the UN and the EU now by joining with France, Germany, Belgium, the neutral states, and others the world over to press for a diplomatic solution based on UN primacy.

"Nowhere is the contrast between what this government should be doing and what they are doing more apparent than when we compare this government's policy on the use of Irish airports and airspace with that of the other European neutrals. Ireland is now the only supposedly neutral state actively cooperating with the US war effort.

"Not only has this government auctioned Irish foreign policy off to the highest bidder, it has kept its head down, and talked out of both sides of its mouth for fear that its real position and agenda will become known to the Irish public.

"But the Irish public has noticed that Ireland is conspicuously absent from any EU-related list when war positions are being spelled out. We're not on the official hawk list. We're not listed with war opponents. We're not listed as acting with the other neutrals. Are we in fact on the list of 15 secret supporters? If so, the Irish public and members of this House have the right to know this. We must have this answer today, and if it is true, we must also know under what conditions this support was offered and accepted. The secrets and lies must come to an end."

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern admitted in the Dáil that the Irish state is on that US list because of the use of Irish airports and airspace but he denied that the state formed part of the "coalition of the willing", a claim rejected by the Sinn Féin TDs.