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

Seán Lemass did not go. Neither did Jack Lynch, and neither for that matter did Liam Cosgrave, Charlie Haughey, Garret FitzGerald, Albert Reynolds, John Bruton, Bertie Ahern or Enda Kenny. However, the Taoiseach went, the first Taoiseach to go to the Munich Security Conference, mixing and mingling with the generals and admirals, the NATO heads and the representatives of imperialism at the Davos of defence.

Pushing the envelope again, before the Taoiseach left, his Government came to an agreement with NATO, the details of which remain secret. There will be more co-operation but the areas of co-operation are confidential, pushing the envelope again, with no vote in the Dáil on the matter.

The direction in which the Taoiseach is taking the country is clear. Next up is the triple lock. I put it to the Taoiseach that on the issue of what he would call Irish neutrality - although there is little enough of it left; it is what I might call Ireland's relationship with military alliances - he should put his cards on the table and call a vote. Let us have a referendum. What does he say on that matter?

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