Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

Mr. Begg made a moving contribution about the moral responsibility of countries within the EU, such as Ireland, to the countries of Africa. He had, as head of Concern, a background in this area and had seen, first-hand, the effects of the internecine civil wars which have ravaged that continent. At a time when matters of great import are being discussed at the Convention on the Future of Europe, while I would not go so far as to agree with Deputy Andrews's concept of Irish neutrality as a sham, I believe, however, it has been used as a convenient cloak by successive Administrations since the Second World War. The original concept of neutrality was based on a decision taken by leaders who had fought the British Government some 20 years earlier. If they had abandoned neutrality or taken the Allied side formally in the Second World War, it would, inevitably, have meant that British troops being stationed in the then Irish Free State. It was as much a pragmatic political decision as it was ideological.