Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to express my disbelief at the Government's decision to approve our involvement in the European Union's permanent structured co-operation, PESCO, at a recent Cabinet meeting. Involvement in PESCO is the biggest policy decision relating to the Defence Forces since Irish soldiers were first sent on UN duties in the 1960s. Article 29.4.9° of the Irish Constitution specifically states that the State will not adopt a common EU defence where such a defence would include the participation of the State. The Government's decision to join PESCO runs totally contrary to that article. The clear aim of PESCO is to jointly develop the EU's military capabilities and to make them available for EU military operations. These missions are not confined to peacekeeping missions and would allow the EU to intervene in conflicts such as those in Libya and Syria, outside of UN and NATO structures. PESCO is being driven by France and Germany, which are both key members of NATO. In reality, the strategic aims of PESCO are inseparable from those of NATO. By signing up to this and in addition to committing to providing troops to PESCO missions, the Government would also be committing to trebling current spending on defence at a huge cost to the Irish people. Despite having been at odds with what is now being proposed and committed to during debates on the Lisbon Treaty, the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, is hell-bent on rushing this through the Oireachtas with little debate over the next fortnight. Sinn Féin calls on the Government to halt its headlong move into this fledgling EU army. This Cabinet decision should be reversed if Irish neutrality is to be protected and enhanced.