Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also thank People Before Profit-Solidarity for bringing the Bill before the House. The recent attacks on Irish neutrality that we have heard from certain Members of this House are examples of how some people get their priorities and, indeed, their ideas about Ireland’s role in this world wrong. The main priority in this current situation must be to bring the war in Ukraine to an end. Indeed, that should be our focus when it comes to every armed struggle and conflict across the globe. When it comes to Ukraine, ending the conflict means securing the withdrawal of Russia. The best way for that to be done for the people of Ukraine is through diplomacy and our ability to impose sanctions, thus isolating the aggressor, which in this case is Russia.

When it comes to those who may question our neutrality in current times, let me ask them why they are more prepared to do that than expel the Russian ambassador. Let me go one step further. Deputy Mairéad Farrell, who has been Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on public expenditure and reform since September 2020, raised on three occasions the issue of the funnelling of €188 billion through the IFSC using section 110 of the tax code. Not all options are yet being used, yet Members of this House thought it more prudent to raise concerns about Ireland’s neutrality. It shows the contradictory nature of comments uttered within this House by certain individuals.

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Ireland's neutrality should be seen as our strength and not presented as a weakness. We have a history of conflict resolution, despite not being a military country. We are recognised as such and have a seat on the UN Security Council as a result. More than that, we are the only European country on the Security Council not a member of NATO. Furthermore, the Member who seems to have been unable to wait to question Ireland's status as a neutral country has a colleague in the Minister, Deputy Coveney, who said the following when we secured out seat on the council:

Our membership of the UN has played a major part in our development. We not only support a fair rules-based order in international affairs - we exist, survive and prosper because of it. And we see no viable alternative.

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For Ireland, multilateralism strengthens our independence, self-confidence and security, rather than diminishes it.

Our neutrality is our strength. We are a principled nation that has global renown for its neutrality and work on conflict resolution.

What about the countries that are not neutral? Are they glowing examples of restraint? If you were to ask the people of Iraq, Yemen or Palestine for their views on non-neutral states, what would they have to say?As a militarily neutral state, Ireland has played an important role in peacekeeping and in the battle against nuclear proliferation. How does that lead us to questioning our neutrality? In a poll at the beginning of this month, three quarters of those surveyed supported maintaining neutrality. Only 15% looked for it to be changed. Furthermore, Ireland is well aware of the consequences of imperialism. We know the importance of a country maintaining its sovereignty and its right of self-determination. We need to be focused on peaceful resolutions to conflict and not exacerbating the current conflict or rescinding our principles.

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