Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The fundamental problem is that there has not been a peacekeeping mission approved by the UN Security Council since 2014. We are on that council. The consultative forum was not prearranged. What was disgraceful was the attempt to stop it from convening and the attempts to undermine the legitimate debate and consultation to hear a wide variety of views, as we did hear over four days. It was a good exercise but people in this House, including Deputy Connolly, tried to demonise it before it started and as it happened. They are now trying to do it afterwards. That is very regrettable because we live in a democracy. I can never get around why people sought to undermine a legitimate exercise in informing. It was insightful and people found it impressive. Maybe Deputy Connolly did not. It is not about getting rid of neutrality. The Fianna Fáil Party, from the time of Eamon de Valera on, has been central regarding our military neutrality, so there is no agenda whatsoever. People do not seem to want to accept the realities of where we are. I respectfully suggest that it is deluded to think we should depend on the Security Council in respect of the sanctioning of any future peacekeeping missions. We want to participate in peacekeeping. That is our raison d’être, our contribution. We are not a military power and have never been.

I did actually refer to the use of the veto by the US. I made the point earlier that the US, China and Russia have their interests. Increasingly, this is militating against UN Security Council sanctioning. With regard to the General Assembly itself, we have been strong advocates and proactive participants. We cosponsored at the General Assembly the motion to admit Palestine to the UN, but the Security Council, through the US veto, stopped that. Genuine issues with the Security Council are being glided over by Opposition Members in respect of the core issue. Essentially, we are saying we will not be participating in any future peacekeeping missions at all if we allow the current situation-----

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