Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for bringing forward this motion and giving us the chance to have this important debate. Here we have another day and another U-turn. Today's U-turn sees Fianna Fáil move even closer to Fine Gael. At some point they are going to have to acknowledge that there is virtually no difference between the two parties. We have come to expect the hawkish views of Fine Gael. We are used to them. We see them beating their chests and all the rest of it. When we hear the Tánaiste talk about fighter jets, we are not surprised. However, the enthusiastic support for militarisation is new to Fianna Fáil. Like all the poor decisions Fianna Fáil has made, we can be sure it will embrace it enthusiastically. While the Government and the Lowry group have no regard for the triple lock, the people of this State do. They value our neutrality and the triple lock. The ask here is simple. If the Government is so sure it is right, it should put the question to the people and let them have their say. If the Government is sure it is right and understands the importance of the issue, which I believe it does, it should put the question to the people and let them have their say.

This is a serious matter. We should have a conversation about neutrality and the triple lock and all the people should be involved. This Government wants to take us in a very dangerous direction but it will not do so with the assistance of Sinn Féin. The triple lock is at the core of our neutrality and while it clearly means nothing to this Government, it is important to ordinary people. The Government should let the people decide.

In his contribution, the Minister of State spoke about and paid tribute to the Defence Forces. I join him in that. However, the Government does not match its tributes with meaningful action. There is now a phenomenon in our Defence Forces whereby people are not even serving their full time but are resigning. They are not waiting until retirement. The Government has made the Defence Forces a deeply unattractive place to work and the members are telling it that by leaving. If the Government valued the Defence Forces, it would implement the European working time directive. If it valued the Defence Forces, it would ensure the members have a safe and decent place to work and are paid appropriately. If it valued the Defence Forces, members of the Government would do more than come in here and simply parrot meaningless words but would back them up with action. The Government does not do that. The members of the Defence Forces see the Government for what it is.

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