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

It is stacked pretty high. We would welcome genuine independent verification of that speakers' list. I believe it will show that the figures we have put forward are pretty damned accurate. Certainly, it will show that this is far from an even debate. As I say, it is arranged in such a way that the debate is about how fast and what exact alliances we should consider rather than whether we maintain what the Government says is the traditional policy, or change it in a significant way.

Of course, what the Minister describes as the traditional policy of neutrality has been chipped away at and undermined for years and years by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. How many US military personnel have passed through Shannon Airport now? I think it has gone over the 3 million mark.

The Minister says that his agenda is not to join NATO. The Irish people will not allow that but it is pretty clear that the Government’s agenda is increased military spending, increased military co-operation with European powers, including imperial powers, and de factoassociate membership of NATO. That is what the stitch-up in Cork, Galway and Dublin is all about and is why there will be protest on the issue and real debate generated by people who support the majority view of the Irish people on this issue.

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