Dáil debates

Wednesday, 6 December 2017

Leaders' Questions (Resumed)

 

12:30 pm

Photo of Mick WallaceMick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

If the Taoiseach is so hawkish and so confident that this is good for us, I do not understand why he is not prepared to allow for a more public debate on it outside the House. Did the Lisbon and Nice treaties teach the State about allowing people to think too much about these issues? For a number of years, we have witnessed the increased militarisation of Europe. The Taoiseach can say that what is happening now does not affect our neutrality, but there are few neutral observers who would share that view.

The Taoiseach says that we have relied for too long on the US to defend us. We are a small island. We have no intention of attacking anyone and no one will attack us. Why do we need the American military to defend us? We do not need it. Neither do we need a European army or to be a part of one for this island to be protected. I will tell the Taoiseach how to keep peace - do not bother anyone else and do not go to war with others. We should also stop allowing Shannon to be used as a US military base and a stopover point for the US to cause destruction, which has created many problems in the past 16 years. Do we not accept the fact that, even though the world is a less safe place today because the amount of arms has increased, we are now going to sign up to arrangements that will make us a part of that?

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