Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is not possible to advance those principles and policies if we are facilitating war, and we are facilitating war. Almost 3 million soldiers have passed through Shannon Airport since 2002. Some 475 American planes have landed and 734 overflight permissions were granted in 2019 alone. It is not possible to promote peace if we are facilitating war. It is simply not possible; they do not go together. The argument that we must continue with this because it is long-standing practice is the weakest I have ever heard propounded. Later on today we will be talking about the appointment of judges, which also involves long-standing practices. Being of long standing does not make a practice right. In this situation, it is all the more important. I have read out figures that are absolutely damning with regard to the number of people displaced. The trend is such that these millions of people will not be able to go back to their countries. That is what the UN Refugee Agency has noted. War is a primary cause of that displacement and, given our history, we should be the strongest voice in promoting peace. It is not possible to do that while facilitating war by allowing military use of Shannon Airport.

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