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

Last year, the then Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, told the Dáil, "it is my view that there should be a citizens’ assembly in relation to all aspects of neutrality." In the aftermath of his comments, an Ipsos poll carried out on behalf of The Irish Times found that two thirds of respondents were opposed to jettisoning neutrality. Similar polls with similar results were carried out by other newspapers. The waters were tested and I do not think the Government liked the findings of those polls, so now the idea of a citizens' assembly seems to have been put to one side, scrapped in favour of a four-day debate in June with so-called experts in foreign policy and military experts. I do not think any serious observer will see this as anything other than an attempt to soften up public opinion. I know the answer to my next question but I will ask it anyway. Why has the Government ditched the idea of a citizens' assembly? When exactly will this stage-managed debate take place?

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