John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I believe there is an attempt to obscure the continuous erosion of Ireland's neutrality by attempting to portray the participation in PESCO as benign training and co-operation opportunities for the Defence Forces. It is impossible to separate it away from the stated position and rhetoric from officials within the EU and European parties. The Minister's party is a member of the European People's Party, which fully supports the creation of a European army. It was only last month that Josep Borrell stated that the EU needs to develop military force to give it military strength. It is impossible to look at PESCO without the broader policy that is at the core of thinking within the EU in certain quarters. Federica Mogherini, who was the former representative for EU foreign affairs and security at the time PESCO was launched, said it was about building an EU defence union, one that would complement NATO's security aims. Other EU officials insist that it is not just a bureaucratic co-operation but real investment that will help to develop the EU's defence industry and spur research and development in the military capabilities the bloc needs most. On the face of what is being presented here with the particular scenarios put forward by the Minister, it is impossible to isolate it from the broader views within the EU around the development of an EU military.

As I have said, that is a policy position not just of the European People's Party but also of other groupings within the EU. It has been a long-held position of Fine Gael and of previous spokespersons about neutrality and the need to move on from it. We are being told by the Government that the war in Ukraine has accelerated the need for a debate on neutrality. I think back to the invasion of Iraq. At the time, I believe it was Enda Kenny who used that particular war and invasion to question Ireland's neutrality and said it was time to have a discussion around neutrality. The Fine Gael Party certainly seems to be happy to hitch its wagon to any international crisis that will help to accelerate its agenda around the abolition of Ireland's military neutrality. It is impossible to separate-----