Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Does the Minister of State have any understanding of what neutrality is and how positive or active neutrality works? Does he even understand that every change in terms has seen an erosion of this State's neutral position? I will list some but not all of these changes: the Partnership for Peace, the rapid reaction force, the European Defence Agency, the battle groups, and here we are talking about another substantial change in respect of Ireland's role in the EU army, which is totally at odds with our Constitution. Does he agree with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in the first instance and if he does has he sought legal advice as to the position vis-à-visthe Constitution? Has the Minister of State, his line Minister or the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade thought out the consequences of this, engaging Irish troops in EU wars? Does he know what he is signing up to?

Currently Irish defence spending is between 0.6% and 0.7%. The Minister of State is committing this State to increasing that to at least 2% annually and possibly much more given that most of the countries involved are North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO, countries which are now committing to what Donald Trump is demanding, a 6% expenditure of all our moneys. By signing up to PESCO the Minister of State is giving a commitment to allowing the EU to monitor and interfere with the defence spending in this State. When we raised this during the debate on the Lisbon treaty it was suggested that we were scaremongers.

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