Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have less than two minutes so I want to focus on the issue of our neutrality. One of the most formative experiences of my earlier political life was the beginning of the Iraq War in 2003. That was a war built on lies. It is estimated to have killed between 500,000 and over 1 million people. The final chapter of the war and the resulting occupation was only closed in December 2021. It was the opposition to the launching of the Iraq War that convinced me of the need for our neutrality. I was not the only one as over 100,000 people took to the streets of Dublin and Belfast to protest that illegal invasion. However, it is what I have learned since that has shown me the need for our neutrality to be protected. I am shocked and outraged by the members of this Government who want us to join NATO and want to send our Defence Forces to war. We would do well to remember that when this State canvassed for a seat on the UN Security Council, we made it clear to non-aligned countries that we would be champions for peace and pointed to our long and proud record of peacekeeping. Now that we have won the seat, however, we seem to want to renege on our neutrality and I just do not get that. The vast majority of people are in favour of neutrality and I am proud of our neutrality. I for one, along with other Members of this House, will stand with many other people across this State, not quietly but loudly, to demand our continued neutrality.

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