Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is hard to know whether to laugh or cry in response to the incredible contribution we have just heard the Minister make. This and previous Governments dating back to 1999 have been disingenuous about our position on neutrality. It is simply too bad at this stage. The more we research and investigate the issue, the worse it looks. None of the four Departments dealing with Shannon Airport, namely, the Departments of Transport, Tourism and Sport; Justice and Equality; Foreign Affairs and Trade; and Defence, is taking responsibility.

The idea that Ireland is a neutral state has zero credibility. The Minister stated we are committed to the ideal of peace and choose to remain neutral. This statement is incorrect because we have taken sides. We would not allow Russia or Islamic State to use Shannon Airport to transport combatants to a war front and we would be right not to allow them to do so. We should not allow any military force to use Shannon Airport. I have no interest in what Russia gets up to and would not defend it for two minutes, no more than I would defend people who commit violence anywhere. However, we are taking sides.

About a year ago, I was involved in an argument in a pub in Ennis when a man got mad with me for raising issues about the US military's use of Shannon Airport. I asked him if he realised how many hundreds of thousands of people were dying at the hands of the US military war machine, which we were facilitating by allowing it to use the airport. His response was to tell me that he sold sandwiches in the airport and we should allow the Americans to keep coming. The attitude is that there is money in it for us.

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