Michael McCarthy (Labour)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Roche. The Convention on the Future of Europe is an extremely complex undertaking. The main issues in the constitutional treaty will be defence and the section dealing with the social economy, as opposed to a neo-liberal model masked under proposals for labour market flexibilities. The Government, in the Intergovernmental Conference, may well roll back on some of the gains that have been made in that respect and this is an issue on which we should concentrate.

There is value in debating what we mean by neutrality, but this is not the way to go about it. Our position on neutrality is well known and well respected throughout the European Union. I cannot see any reason that we should give it away now. There has not been any request or demand that we do so. The question should be asked as to why we might want to give it away. In my view, it is preferable to maintain our positive neutrality, much in the spirit of Connolly and of others down through the years who made the case against war and militarism and that is more necessary now than it ever was in the past.

Construing security in terms of military strength is dangerously narrow. Eliminating poverty, exclusion and gross inequalities is the most positive version of security. Contributing to the idea of a new cold war helps militarism and also deflects from the task of eliminating poverty and development. Last year, the US defence budget was $396.1 billion. For $28 billion, one could provide basis primary education for every child on the planet. For the same amount, one could supply clean drinking water for everyone on the planet.