Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We live in an increasingly interconnected world. That is true as much of trade as it is of defence. Listening to some of the contributions today, one would think that for many in opposition this is a cause for regret. In fact, it is something that has benefited Ireland immensely. In the context of trade, for example, being part of the European Union has afforded us an opportunity to really come of age as a country. Since we joined the European Union we have had an opportunity genuinely to bloom as a country, to become part of the international community in a way that we never were before that. After its establishment as a state, Ireland was very much in the shadow of the United Kingdom, its former colonial master. We got the opportunity to build new trade opportunities and new links with other countries. The strength we have within the European Union has also allowed us to build our confidence as a country and to grow to where we find ourselves today, namely as a leader within the European Union in many respects. It is important that we maintain that status and continue to build our links with the European Union.

I am proud to be part of Fine Gael, which is the most pro-European party in this Chamber and a member of the largest party in the European Union, namely the European People's Party. Our consistent support for European projects and integration is extremely important. This stands in sharp contrast to Sinn Féin which has, regrettably, opposed every single step we have taken within the European Union and within European integration programmes. There has been a kind of coming to Jesus moment recently, but this is not nearly enough. The sooner we recognise the European Union as a trade partner, our greatest trade partner, and a way for us to establish our sovereignty and independence, the better.

We have led within the European Union on many projects. One such project is Irish Aid. The foreign aid mechanism that we operate within this country is something of which we can be enormously proud. It is very much in contrast to the way foreign aid operates in other countries. Foreign aid from the US is decreasing. For many years, however, the aid the US provided came with strings attached. Irish Aid, on the other hand, has a totally different approach that is much more altruistic. It identifies a fixed number of projects, it pursues them without strings attached. It does so in a way that actually promotes the independence of the countries involved, whether it is Malawi or any other of the project countries that are assisted by Irish Aid. It genuinely benefits those communities and by extension it benefits us all. How Ireland has approached that is something of which we can be genuinely proud.

Equally, in terms of defence, being part of the European Union has allowed us to stand on our own two feet. In reality, we are, as Enda Kenny said many years ago, not a neutral country; we are a non-aligned country. It seems to me that some people in this Chamber have a difficulty understanding the distinction between those two things. I do not want to be part of a neutral country. I do not want to be in a country where we cannot speak out against what we see in Gaza or in Ukraine or in any number of other theatres around the world where there are appalling atrocities being meted out against individuals and innocent civilians. I do not want to be in a situation where we cannot call that out for what it is. Neither do I want to be in a situation where we are sending Irish citizens to fight those wars. That is not what we are about because we are a militarily non-aligned country.

In the context of level of ambition 2 and the report of the Commission of the Future of the Defence Forces, I absolutely want us to get there. I agree with other Members that we have not got there. There is a shameful lack of investment in our Defence Forces that needs to be remedied. I am glad that we are remedying it. I am glad that when Simon Coveney was in that portfolio, he spearheaded the process. Mr. Coveney purchased two coastal patrol vessels from New Zealand and established progress in terms of the Naval Service becoming a navy, which will happen. There are lost of other ways in which the Defence Forces will grow. Another important part of that - this may be a slightly selfish thing to say - is the naval base being established Dún Laoghaire Harbour, which is a really important base of operations for the Naval Service in the Irish Sea patrolling our coasts and keeping us safe. I look forward to when that will happen and to efforts to make sure it does happen.

The other issue is the triple lock. There has been much misinformation here in the course of this debate on what the triple lock is. It has nothing to do with neutrality. It does not relate to military non-alignment. It is about recognising that we are a sovereign country and we are grown-ups now. We can make our own decisions about when it is appropriate to deploy more than a dozen Irish troops abroad. I do not want to ask China, Russia or the United States for permission to deploy Irish troops abroad. We can think of instances such as Bosnia and the Mediterranean when we have been delayed in putting our troops into foreign theatres to do good work. We have been delayed from doing that because the UN is no longer functional in this regard. It has not approved a new international peacekeeping mission since 2014. Let us recognise the fact that now, as a grown up, sovereign nation, the Government and this Parliament can make that decision without recourse to the United Nations and without fear that this will somehow to encroach on our military non-alignment.

See this speech in context