Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

These issues arise all the time. We are a militarily neutral country, which means we are not militarily aligned to any other country. However, neutrality does not mean one stays out of everything or one cannot take a position on a particular report. Neutrality means choosing to support or not support positions on the basis of their particular merits. Ireland sometimes takes positions that are consistent with those of other member states. On other occasions, that is not the case. When I attend meetings of the Defence Council, I consistently refer to our relationship with the United Nations when other countries are talking about EU co-operation with reference to NATO. That serves to re-emphasise on a regular basis Ireland's connection with the UN, which is very much linked to our military neutrality and is the protector of that neutrality in terms of our international reputation and so on. We will continue to do that.

The fact that a number of our MEPs might vote for a report because they happen to consider it worth supporting does not undermine Irish neutrality. I have not read the particular report the Deputy mentioned, but I would defend the right of MEPs from any party to do so where they happen to agree with the thinking behind and the merits of a report's recommendations. Irish neutrality allows our MEPs to vote either for or against such reports on the basis of whichever is the right thing to do. That does not undermine Irish neutrality.

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