Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is not easy for a small country to influence much of what happens in the world, but being small does not mean that we are not entitled to a voice. We have a right and a responsibility to speak for justice worldwide. We should be neutral.

Obviously, having a large and powerful army makes a country powerful. Likewise, controlling much of the world's big business makes a country powerful, as does having unlimited access to money. We can bow to that power or we can retain our voice by insisting on speaking out.

Today is the sixth anniversary of Julian Assange being locked up in the Ecuadorian embassy. He has now been denied communications and the Internet. He has been denied sunlight for six years. A person in direct provision in Maghaberry would probably have an easier time of it, yet we say nothing about it. At the same time, Hillary Clinton is in Ireland this week to be honoured by Trinity College. She is responsible for the deaths of thousands, yet she is being honoured here when we will not speak up for someone like Julian Assange who has highlighted how large countries operate, set about going to war and carry out untold destruction.

It is good that we are having this debate. I have given the Tánaiste credit previously. I have more respect for his take on these matters than I had for that of many of his predecessors. It is terrible that children are being separated from their parents, but it is even more terrible to drop bombs on their homes and wipe them out altogether. Numerous parties in the House have allowed Shannon Airport to be used for US military purposes. The destruction that the US military has caused in the Middle East and elsewhere is beyond horrific. We talk about facilitating and accepting refugees into Ireland, operating the direct provision system better and pulling people out of the sea in the Mediterranean, but why do people become refugees? At the last count, 33 million people had become refugees because of war, the majority of which was driven by the US military. We allow it to use Shannon Airport to facilitate its efforts. In God's name, will the Government reconsider? We have to stop because it is wrong and horrific.

The argument that has often been put to me is that we cannot push the US military out of Shannon Airport because we might lose jobs and it might affect American investment in Ireland. Let us make up our minds about what we want. In Obama's eight years in power, he dropped an average of 36,000 bombs per year.

Believe it or not, Trump has not got up to those numbers yet, but I am sure he will not be long getting there. There were 36,000 bombs a year for eight years under Obama. What did we say about it? Was that okay? It is terrible to separate kids from their parents but it was okay to support Obama's effort to drop 36,000 bombs per year. Where was our voice? It does not stack up. We need to become a neutral, independent, small country again with a voice of our own. We do not have to shoot anybody, drop bombs on anyone, encourage anyone or participate in it. We just need a voice because it can make a difference.

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