Opposition criticises Government over make-up of security and neutrality forum
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The Government has been criticised for not making space for opposition parties in a new forum on Irish security and neutrality.
Sinn Féin's Matt Carthy told a Dáil debate on a new Consultative Forum on International Security Policy that the approach taken by the Government could see Ireland entered into international agreements which successive governments would not be able to leave.
Mr Carthy said that while the forum, which will be chaired by Professor Louise Richardson, former University of Oxford vice-chancellor, will hear from around 1,000 people, there will be no specific role for opposition politicians to feed into Prof. Richardson's report.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin told the Dáil the forum will hear from "stakeholders, with participation from civilian and military experts and practitioners".
"The Departments of Foreign Affairs and Defence are currently consulting with academic, civil society, research and State agency partners to identify a wide range of speakers and participants, from Ireland and abroad, representing a breadth of experience and views."
Mr Carthy said his party was "disappointed" with the proposed structure of the forum, which he said "is less about public discussion and is about an attempt to reshape public opinion". The Government does not intend to provide a role for the Opposition in the Tánaiste’s proposed so-called consultative forum.
"This is an important point because decisions on foreign policies are different to other areas. When one government sets itself up to international agreements, for example, a successor government cannot always simply change position without damaging our international reputation.
Mr Carthy said his party "will vociferously advocate for neutrality and in doing so we will follow the long-standing position of republicans, trade unionists and other progressives over many generations". He said the parties of the left should outline the positives to be gained from Ireland remaining independent.
Labour's Brendan Howlin said that his party "would have preferred a citizens' assembly", which he said was a forum which had worked "so successfully on major issues of contention that divided our peoples in the past".
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett accused the Government of wanting to enter into military alliances headed by the US, something he said would be "a disaster" for Irish troops across the globe.
"If we become associated with US, UK or European foreign policy, it will seriously threaten the safety of our troops around the world. I honestly believe that. It will undermine a precious reputation we have built up as a country opposed to colonialism, discrimination and oppression by big powers in particular.
"We will become associated with war crimes of the sort the United States committed in Iraq and that Israel commits against Palestinians. That would be a disaster for this country’s security and it would be, and is, a trashing of Irish neutrality."
In the Government's closing remarks, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said that his party would oppose any referendum on Ireland joining military alliances such as Nato.