Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

The Minister for Defence, Deputy Coveney, has stated there is a good chance Ireland will be involved in the European rapid reaction force due to be operational by 2025. I say to him and his Government colleagues that there is no chance this will happen without major opposition in Irish society. It will not be the fortunate sons and daughters of Ministers who will be sent out to die in the interests of French and German capitalism. It will be the sons and daughters of the working class and that will not be allowed to happen without a fight here at home. Deputy McAuliffe might mark my words on that and convey them to his Government colleagues. There will be a fight here at home if the Government tries to go down that road.

Scab ships that are docking here in Dublin are owned by a company that sacked 800 workers by video link and is now employing staff at a rate of £1.82 an hour. The Tánaiste has stated this could not happen in the EU but he ignores the fact it is an EU country that is providing P&O with its flag of convenience. If the trade union leaders were prepared to lead a fight against a race to the bottom, which they should be prepared to do, these boats would and should be met by mass pickets and mass protests when they dock in this city.

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