Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Baineann mo cheist lenár bpolasaí neodrachta. Ba pholasaí é a lig dúinn suíochán a fháil ar an gComhairle Slándála agus meas a shaothrú i measc thíortha an domhain. Ba pholasaí é a lig dúinn a bheith mar ghuth ar son na saoirse agus a bheith i measc tíortha a bhfuil a muinín acu asainn ó thaobh ár gcuid ionracais de. My question relates to our neutrality. I refer to the Taoiseach's comments, the comments of the Tánaiste and the Minister for Defence and various well-placed articles telling us it is time to get rid of our policy of neutrality. I stand here today without any hesitation in saying I am absolutely appalled and worried by those comments. The policy of neutrality is not a passive policy but a very active policy. One of the Taoiseach's predecessors, whom he has quoted, ironically in an article written by a Russian on the background to the non-proliferation treaty, said, "It was not only the persistence, skill and persuasiveness of Irish diplomacy but its strong motivation that, taken together, achieved the result recorded in these pages." That was the effort over numerous years by Frank Aiken, almost a single voice, with the help of good public servants, that eventually led many years later to the non-proliferation treaty in 1968.

Neutrality has been under threat by every single representative of the establishment for a long time. It happened with the Nice treaty, on which we had to vote twice, and then a declaration was made in Seville. It happened with the Lisbon treaty, on which we had to vote twice, and all the arguments that we made then came true and we eventually got a declaration on protocols. Fast-forward now to the middle of a crisis, where we should be using all our effort to help the Ukrainian people, with whom I stand in solidarity, and we are being deflected by various powerful voices that infantilise and demonise people, including Deputies, who dare to speak out. They tell us we should grow up, that we should be a voice for war and more death. I fundamentally object to that and to the pressure being put on that we would all speak with the same voice. I will not. That is not what I was elected to do, while still standing in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and doing everything possible to help them. Where is our voice for the diplomacy that should be taking place? It seems to be lost on the Government that it is meeting in Versaille and the last time an agreement was made in Versaille it related to a second world war. I ask that the Taoiseach confirm here today that he has no intention of getting rid of our policy of neutrality.

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