It has been argued that throughout our membership Ireland's role as an initiator within the EU has, at times, been weak. While I do not agree with this in the main, I believe it holds some validity when dealing with security issues. As an EU member state there has been a distinct impression of Ireland as a spectator of the common foreign and security policy rather than as a participant in the project of giving the EU a security and defence dimension. Ireland has not always shared the responsibility for developing it and, therefore, has found it difficult to make it work in a way which is consistent with both the EU's and Ireland's political goals and values.