Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Rural Independent Group, I also question this consultative forum on international security policy. If the Government wants to pay the Army, support it and give it proper conditions, it should do it. We do not need to have a select group up in Dublin Castle and around the country, at huge expense. It is literally a talking shop to get the answer the Government wants and to ready people for a change in our neutrality. The Tánaiste has stated numerous times that our neutrality is a rather outdated position. We know what is going on. These are the Houses of the Oireachtas to which people were elected, and it is here that we should debate this, not having these forums, as others have said, packed with people to get the desired answer, and some hangers-on from NGOs as well, of course. It is a great party and a great carry-on but it ignores once again the Members of this House who have been privileged to be duly elected to this House for the time being. It is shocking.

See this speech in context