Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Dr. Devine. She stated at the start she would pull no punches and she certainly did not. She indicated she hoped for a turnaround in Irish foreign policy fortunes but that the realisation of that goal depends on the response of members of this committee. She was somewhat flattering in that respect. We have not seen such independent thought coming through in this committee but perhaps it will happen this term because of changes within the Oireachtas. More voices could give a different opinion on the way things are going. The witness indicates change depends on the wider Oireachtas and the media. There is no real evidence of such change apart from in some non-governmental organisations and in the activism of Irish public opinion. I remember attending the demonstrations against the war in Iraq, which had 100,000 Irish people walking on the streets. That was a huge number. The Taoiseach of the day was allegedly knocking on doors in Drumcondra at the time and there was not much leadership at the time in that regard.

The witness probably has too many ideas in her paper for such a small timeframe. It is refreshing and I wish we had more time to discuss some of her ideas.

Dr. Devine spoke about Ireland's inability and unwillingness to use its EU veto, a point also raised by Senator Bacik. Why have we become acquiescent and part and parcel of the French-led new imperialist common security and defence policy, CSDP? Why is there a reluctance to use the veto? Is it because we want to be seen as the good boys and girls of Europe? Are there wider implications in that we will trade off this in the hope of getting support in some other area?

The British Government had been a block in attempts to federalise the EU further. It was coming from its own position on this. While I might not necessarily agree with it, there was a view from many that this was a negative development. The EU institutions have continually ignored all polls and data which show people opposed to federalisation while trust and support for the EU is falling. There is widespread anger at the democratic deficit in the EU. Have the EU institutions learned anything from the Brexit vote and the growing resentment towards the EU? After the British decision, will it instead move quickly towards further federalisation? That is a concern many of us have.

Earlier, listening to the radio, I heard people talking about how there will be a change of gravity with Britain leaving the EU. To a large extent, the British have this idea of themselves as the centre of gravity and everything flows from them. From discussions with some of their representatives, it is obvious they do not have a clue what is coming down the track. That is the difficulty. However, there will be changes in Europe. Is it a concern that this voice will not be there? While the British voice may have come from a different angle from ours, it put a block on many issues, particularly federalisation.

Traditionally, Britain blocked efforts to create an EU army or military force. It was of the view that there was nothing better than its own army and it would see itself as a great peacekeeper. However, that depends on where one lives. If one lived in this part of the word, one might have different view. We have also seen the creation of EU battle groups and joint EU missions abroad. The leaders of the EU institutions have long stated their desire for an EU army. Ministers always say that is not the direction we are going, but it seems we are moving incrementally towards that. This week, the EU agreed to create a new military headquarters in Brussels and there has been agreement that a percentage of the budget would be spent on greater militarisation in all EU states. This is happening at a time when people are living through austerity. Does Dr. Devine believe we will see an acceleration of efforts to create that EU army? Again, that is a concern that many of us have. I know she is on record about her concerns about Irish neutrality and military planes landing at Shannon Airport as part of a forwarding base for military operations around the world. She did not allude to it in her paper but does see it as an issue. I know Dr. Devine has a significant background in Irish neutrality. Does she think this will impact on the Irish Government's supposed policy of neutrality? Does she think this will mean we will no longer continue the pretence? Will legislation for Irish neutrality, such as through a referendum, be introduced? Will we give up these public statements on neutrality? Is it too soon for Irish politicians to acquiesce in that?

There have been big changes in the US with significant developments on the other side of the election of Donald Trump. Does Dr. Devine believe the British Government's focus will shift to creating stronger ties with the new American regime? Will it be a temporary arrangement or a long-term shift in alliances? Will the British prioritise such a relationship over their relationship with the European Union? How will this impact on Irish foreign policy?

The Government, as well as other political parties and groupings, have conducted a significant amount of outreach to other EU Governments on the unique situation of Ireland with regard to Brexit. Last week, we had the historic elections in the North with a significant focus on the DUP. Brexit was also part of the reason for the high voter turnout. Does Dr. Karen Devine believe that a core priority of the Government's foreign affairs policy must be to ensure the North receives a special status in the European Union? This is one of these developing positions. The Irish Parliament has adopted a position on this special category. How would such a special category status be viewed in other European capitals?