Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

This motion is important and it would be good to have more time to discuss the fundamental changes proposed in the way Ireland deals with the rest of the world, particularly from the point of view of military operations, international law and human rights. All parties would claim these as cornerstones of their approach to foreign relations. There are, however, differences between the parties in respect of the role of the United Nations, the need to reform it and its role as the custodian of international law.

Ireland has played a proud and honourable role in serving with the United Nations overseas. It is necessary, however, to examine our present and future positions. TASC, the think-tank for action on social change, held a seminar yesterday at which the Ombudsman, Ms Emily O'Reilly, said that the Dáil is becoming a rubber stamp for Government decisions. This motion is an example of that point. The memorandum of understanding was presented in committee for 40 minutes, most of which time was devoted to the Minister's presentation, and we are having a 60 minute debate today.

The Defence (Amendment) Bill which was discussed for three hours on 4 July 2006, with a vote at midnight, was not as fully debated as it could have been. That in turn diluted the definition of a United Nations mandate and allowed Irish forces to assemble before having one. That may be what some parties want but not the Green Party. We want better accountability and a stronger role for the United Nations with the reforms that it needs. We should be putting our efforts into making that happen. A grey area is emerging in which our forces are to be in place without a UN mandate. If they are attacked another grey area will emerge. I hope that does not happen but no provision has been made for it in this motion.

The legacy of the Government is not a proud one in respect of partnership for peace. A referendum was promised but it did not take place. The Amsterdam and Nice treaties resulted in further militarisation and Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, wants a European army. Ireland has joined the European arms agency with no debate in the Dáil. Most disgracefully, we continue to facilitate more than 1 million US troops that have passed through Shannon Airport on the way to what started as an illegal and immoral war. It remains immoral, whatever about the retrospective sanction from the United Nations. It was a war of invasion which we should not have supported and which did not initially have a UN mandate. We continue to turn a blind eye to that atrocity despite calls from the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, Amnesty International and other major human rights organisations that we search the CIA planes coming in here which have been implicated in extraordinary rendition flights. That is a crying shame.

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