Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is not. There is a push to get away from it. There is a determination by some in government who want to end our neutrality. Ireland needs to return to the global stage as a voice for peace. We are living in a time where the European Union is losing sight of its global aims and objectives, namely, building peace and mutual respect among people, respect for human rights and the strict observance of international law. We are not doing that.

The military-industry complex in the EU has silently developed into one of the world's largest and profits by EU states have clearly taken precedent over the aims of the EU worldwide. The EU policy on arms trade clearly states "member states are determined to prevent the export of military technology and equipment which might be used for internal repression or international aggression or contribute to regional instability", yet Saudi Arabia is one of the largest buyers of EU-made weapons. It has used weapons made in the EU to rain down untold damage, suffering and death on the people of Yemen. Billions of euro in arms have been exported from the EU to apartheid Israel to be used in the oppression of the Palestinian people. Fighter jets used to bomb Gaza and kill civilians were made in northern Italy. Despite countless international human rights groups documenting these war crimes and acts of apartheid, these EU states clearly continue to violate the EU policy on arms trade and face absolutely no consequences. The EU stays silent while EU member states make large profits selling weapons to those rogue states and fuelling global instability. Ireland is part of that. How can the Tánaiste deny that is not happening? That is happening. We are engaging with military sales to countries that are breaking international laws and that is part of Ireland's role.

See this speech in context