Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Coveney, told us this was a structured initiative, to opt into and to opt out of what we want. We already have an opt in-opt out facility so why do we need to join a group to have more opt-in and opt-out? We are not opting in but joining. Ireland's neutrality is a matter of Government policy rather than a requirement of statute law as it is not in the Constitution. An exception to this is Article 29.4.9°. Deputy Eamon Ó Cuív played his part in ensuring this was in the Nice and Lisbon treaties. Following an amendment, it states: "The State shall not adopt a decision taken by the European Council to establish a common defence pursuant to Article 42 of the Treaty on European Union where that common defence would include the State." We are not supposed to be joining this but only yesterday Jean-Claude Juncker boasted:

In June I said it was time to wake up to the Sleeping Beauty of the Lisbon Treaty: permanent structured cooperation. Six months later it is happening. I welcome the steps taken today by Member States to lay the foundations of a European Defence Union.

That is exactly what we are joining. How come the Government has not outlined where the money is going to come from in the next three years?

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