Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Accountability and transparency are essential ingredients of a well functioning democracy. National security issues, however, allow governments that are basically democratic to opt out of these responsibilities and justify actions which often constitute gross infringements of human rights under the guise of protecting citizens. Ireland's national security committee, NSC, by its nature, deals with sensitive information and intelligence on both dissident and international threats, some of which must be kept confidential for obvious reasons. However, the secrecy surrounding this organ of the State is unparalleled. Although operational matters regarding State security fall to various units within An Garda Síochána, the NSC dictates the State's response to issues of defence, intelligence and national security and advises the Government on them. All information on meetings of the NSC, including the dates of past meetings, is kept secret and the NSC answers to nobody but itself. The equivalent UK body reports directly to the Intelligence and Security Committee of the Westminster Parliament which was set up in 1994 and is responsible for the management and oversight of the policy on, administration and expenditure of all security services, including the Government Communications Headquarters, GCHQ, and provides for oversight of defence intelligence in the Ministry of Defence and the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism in the Home Office.

In June 2015 the Taoiseach admitted to the House that Ireland could not consider itself to be immune from international terrorist threats. However, at the same time he is happy to continue Ireland's complicity with the US military machine by allowing US aircraft operating in theatres of war to land at Shannon Airport and overfly Irish airspace. Some of these aircraft are even thought to have stopped at Shannon Airport while on rendition flights. Permitting US aircraft to use Shannon Airport unchecked is a tacit declaration of support for the United States' murderous policies in the Middle East. This breach of our neutrality is surely a prime reason Ireland might be seen as a target for international terrorism. Does the Taoiseach think we should re-think allowing Shannon Airport to be used as a US military base?

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