Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the Secretary General and his colleagues. Concern has been expressed in recent years about a perceived erosion of Irish neutrality, with our participation in the Partnership for Peace, PfP, operations and the EU battle groups. This was not helped by the comments of the Secretary General of NATO who, on a recent visit here, said that he would like to see Ireland join NATO in the future. The question that many international and Irish peace campaigners are asking is why NATO is still in existence. It is seen as a relic of the Cold War. Why is there not just one United Nations umbrella, unchallenged and with the authority of the international community?