Seanad debates

Wednesday, 25 June 2003

Military Neutrality: Motion.

 

If I may, I would like to make one or two comments about some of the contributions. I agree with Senator O'Toole that it is difficult to achieve absolute neutrality in a literal sense. We live in a complex world where the fact that we get on with our business means that compromises are inevitable. He made a somewhat slighting reference to Mr. de Valera visiting the German legation at the end of the Second World War. That was, in fact, a gesture of neutrality. Over the years, it has been perversely misrepresented by people who should, and do, know better. If we wanted to be truly neutral, in the absolutist sense he was discussing, we would have to try and be blind on issues.

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