Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I cannot speak for everyone. We will have a private session afterwards, during which we will discuss everything. I can highlight that these hearings come in the context of a communication that came to us. The money had already been allocated. I understand contracts are going to be signed in respect of the €500 million. I have a breakdown showing a figure of €124 million for explosives, €248 million for powder, €90 million for shells, €50 million for missiles and €2 million for testing and reconditioning. This is the programme and its budget. As I understand it, the money has in effect been allocated. Normally, we might make a political contribution, whereby we would give our opinion that the money should not be allocated in such a way, for example. That may be the tool we will still be able to use. Again, however, I cannot speak for all the members. One tool that may be available to us as a committee is sending a political contribution. Even though the money has been spent, there is the question of next year and what happens next time. It is important to mark our concern. If there are concerns about the interpretation of the treaty, as I believe there are, and given that we will see how the hearings evolve, it is important that we send a political statement that we disagree with the interpretation of the treaty. It would mark our concern to have the interpretation questioned. I hope that would be useful for the next time or next scheme that may come along that seeks to interpret in a very bizarre way, whereby the manufacturing of ammunition supposedly has no military or defence implications. That is one aspect.

Speaking for myself and not the other members of the committee, I will be engaging with the next set of witnesses, which will include those from the Department, to highlight the question of whether Ireland can challenge these decisions. There should be a change only where there is a unanimous Council decision, so it is a matter of being clear about the position Ireland might take at the Council and the wider interpretation related to whether a unanimous Council decision is made. There is the separate question of whether Ireland could use its capacity under Article 31(1), regardless of what decision may be made, to ensure we and our public money are not implicated. Those are some of the paths potentially available to us, but we will need to discuss them collectively as a committee.