Seanad debates

Wednesday, 13 December 2017

Permanent Structured Cooperation: Statements

 

10:30 am

Photo of Gerard CraughwellGerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House today and setting out such a clear message on where we are going with PESCO. There has been much talk about the Government trying to ram through Ireland's participation in some kind of European army. It is important to put the record straight.

First and foremost, let us discuss Ireland and its neutrality. We are a militarily non-aligned country and nothing in this agreement is going to change that. How neutral we are has always been a question. For example, on 6 June 1944, the Irish weather forecast service provided a weather report for the Allies to invade Europe. Overflights by Mayo, Sligo and Donegal were commonplace during the Second World War. Today, the RAF covers our skies because we cannot do it ourselves. There is nothing wrong with this. This is all good straightforward intelligent stuff, but it is important to be honest about it.

People are talking and accusing the Minister of State of dragging us into some sort of EU army. The Minister and I both know that is bunkum. An army needs intelligence. There is no independent intelligence unit in Europe that gathers analyses and executes the results of intelligence gathering. There is no intention to form a European army. There never has been an intention to form a European army as far as PESCO is concerned.

Some countries in Europe may come together and form military alliances, and they are perfectly entitled to do that. As a militarily non-aligned country, Ireland will stay out of that. If there was to be any change to that, I know that the Minister of State knows that he would have to put that to the people by way of referendum in order to change the status of Ireland. There is no question whatsoever of us moving into some sort of European army.

We talk about neutrality as if it was some Holy Grail. If we were really neutral, like Finland or Austria for example, then we would spend vast amounts of money in developing military resources to protect our neutrality, but we do not. We are a peaceful country and, for the most part, we operate in peacekeeping roles. We operate in European missions. It is important that the people know that when Irish troops are involved in European missions, the ultimate buck stops with the Minister of State. The commander in the field is answerable to the Minister of State and to the Government of the day. We do not send our troops into wars or war zones and put them at risk with European missions. Command and control and the control of our units overseas on European missions rest with the Government. The Government has the final say. General Ger Aherne spoke on "RTÉ News at One" on Sunday and pointed out that the troops he was involved with in Mogadishu came from 16 different countries. Two of the countries were third countries non-aligned to Europe. The rest were involved in the European Union. We opted in and we opted out of that particular mission.

The Minister of State set out four points on PESCO, relating to maritime issues, the development of unmanned underwater vehicle protection, a centre of excellence for EU military training and cyberthreats. Who, in God's name, could find fault with any of those? We have seen what a cyberthreat did to the UK National Health Service. In one weekend that attack ground the entire country to a halt. What is wrong with us becoming involved in such things?

I imagine people are still going to try to turn this into some sort of grand European army. Be that as it may, the Minister of State has set out in clear terms precisely what we are attempting to get ourselves in to. No firm decision has been made on the specifics at this stage. I know that when the time comes and the Minister of State, with the aid of his officials and senior military officers, has picked out the specific items he will come back to the House and explain what we have decided to opt in to and why.

Irish soldiers walk around the place with Austrian rifles. We used to use French armoured cars. What is wrong with coming together with our colleagues in Europe to have the funds to buy the best equipment in the world? What is wrong with Institute of Technology, Carlow developing bullet-proof vests? I saw the project when I was down there some time ago. What is wrong with that? There is nothing wrong with it.

I am glad to see that the Minister of State is looking favourably on a military school of excellence, especially when we are putting people overseas in peril. I welcome what the Minster of State has done today. I am 100% supportive of what he is at and I wish him well with it. I look forward to him coming back and letting us know what specifics he has chosen.

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