Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Has the Cabinet committee discussed the growing momentum towards a significant further step in the militarisation of the European Union in the context of Brexit, which has, according to one source who comes from an EU state with a large defence industry, created a "new situation" but that "we are just at the beginning of the process" and that talks could go on for "years to come"? He or she is explicitly talking about that process of further military integration.

We have a joint proposal from Germany and France which proposes the establishment of an EU military headquarters. According to the EU Observer, "The paper added that a core group of EU states could launch the new security policy", and "In one suggestion, it also declared the political intention to create 'an authentically European esprit de corps' by joint training of military officers.", and "spoke of other projects, such as making EU 'tactical groups' ready to go into action, sharing military satellite imagery, and joint procurement of high-end technology". The proposals also included a joint EU defence budget, shared military surveillance and joint procurement. The Italian Government has gone even further, calling for a "powerful and usable European Force that can also be employed in support to Nato or UN operations". That covers France, Germany and Italy.

In the recent state of the Union address to the European Parliament by the President of the European Commission, Mr. Juncker, the points on so-called defence, in reality militarisation, are quite striking. He stated:

Europe needs to toughen up. Nowhere is this truer than in our defence policy.

Europe can no longer afford to piggy-back on the military might of others or let France alone defend its honour in Mali.

As if that is what France is defending in Mali. Mr. Juncker added:

For European defence to be strong, the European defence industry needs to innovate. That is why we will propose before the end of the year a European Defence Fund, to turbo boost research and innovation.

This is a bloc that currently spends €200 billion a year on investment in research and development of weapons which are designed to kill and maim people. What is important is that Mr. Juncker stated, "The Lisbon Treaty enables those Member States who wish, to pool their defence capabilities in the form of a permanent structured cooperation." This drive towards further militarisation will be carried out under the title of permanent structured co-operation, a provision introduced by the Lisbon treaty. People will remember that the Lisbon treaty apparently had nothing to do with militarisation. The straw man of conscription into European armies was knocked down.

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This is happening. They are driving towards further militarisation in the context of Brexit. What is the Government's position? Has it discussed that at a sub-committee? What position did the Minister for Defence take at the meeting in Bratislava at which these matters were discussed?

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