Brendan Ryan (Labour)

So that I will not be the recipient of a reprimand from Senator O'Toole, I will say that what I mean by neutrality is that we retain for the Irish people the right to decide whether we should become involved in military conflict. We should not sign that away, taking the choice away from the people so that they are compelled to become involved in conflict because of some treaty or agreement.

Over the last 30 years, this State has dealt quite successfully with violent threats to its security – threats with which no other country in western Europe had to deal – without being involved in a military alliance. We had armed terrorism in our own State and operating out of it, but we did not need a military alliance to deal with it. I have no problem with an intelligent debate on neutrality, but every time I have heard that phrase used the real implication has been that we should figure out a way of getting rid of it. I am prepared to have a debate about neutrality any time. We need to discuss what it means, what the future holds for us and what we should do about it. I am not persuaded that we need to become involved at this stage in any alliance in which we are obliged in advance, without having the right to consider the merits of such a course of action, to become involved in an armed conflict. That is a good position to have and it is one we should retain.