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

Sending 1,000 soldiers to take sides in a conflict anywhere in the world is a battle. Europe would have two such groups on standby, with 3,000 battle-ready soldiers to send into an area to disarm one side or the other. That is taking sides and we are a neutral country. That is not our role, has never been our role and should never be in the future.

Rather than rehash what I have been saying about the EU's military apparatus since I was elected in 2002 and before, I will quote one of the Minister of State's colleagues, who said:

I ask that we revert back to what we were the best at, namely, peacekeeping. We do not want all of this. Leave it to others, if they want to become part and parcel of battle groups. Battle groups are not peacekeepers. The words "battle groups" mean that they are trained to go into battle. Do we want to be part of the battle groups? Since when do peacekeepers become involved in battle groups? With the greatest respect, we are losing our way here.

It was not me or another Sinn Féin Member who said that, but the former Minister of Defence, Deputy Seán Barrett. I once again ask the Minister of State to heed the warning of those inside and outside this House who respect our proud tradition of peacekeeping and to stop now, before it is too late, and protect our neutrality.

It is requested that 152 personnel be on standby to be deployed at a moment's notice to anywhere in the world. This is at a time we do not even have enough Defence Forces personnel to deploy the existing naval fleet, to fly the planes and man the equipment that would allow the Air Corps to be fully operational, or to allow the Army to fully carry out the duties that it was expected to in the past. At a time there is no reason to, we are being asked to sign up to sending further troops abroad, on this occasion on a mission that is contrary to the traditions of this House and of Ireland, as a country of neutrality that does not impose itself on other parts of the world.

We do not support the new imperialist attempt to regain past glories for the likes of France, Belgium, Britain or Spain, which have fought proxy wars in Africa and elsewhere. Only last week, the Minister of State made the decision to send Irish troops to Mali in September to support the continuing French adventure, to the detriment of those who live there.

I urge him to row back, once and for all, on the trend in the European Union towards further militarisation and the spending of money that could be otherwise spent on peacebuilding. We must ensure that our developed world contributes in a positive way to those who are the least well-off in the world, so that they benefit rather than see their resources plundered, as they have over the centuries.

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