Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I join with others in strongly welcoming this legislation and the leadership Ireland has shown on this issue. I will first speak about the importance of this treaty. It is another key moment with regard to the multilateral vision of what international society or international co-operation should look like. It is a key exercise in what we saw in the founding of the UN and some of the work of the European Union, that is to say, the idea that we can all agree on principles with regard to how we share the planet, how we treat people and the steps we should take. In that regard it fits with the legacy of Frank Aiken who, as a delegate to the UN from what was then a quite young country, back in the 1950s led the debate on ensuring that the original nuclear non-proliferation treaty was signed, which happened in the 1960s. That was really important because it is a cornerstone of the role Ireland has played and the voice it has raised with regard to international co-operation. There is now a push-back against many of the most positive measures taken in respect of multilateralism and principles. It is also the 70th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, which is another example of standards being set for which we should all stand and an acknowledgment that even war has limits. There is a pushing away from an international politics of principles and a move towards the international politics of big powers, power plays, patronage and a client-state dynamic. It is vitally important that Ireland continues to champion multilateralism and internationalism.

I agree with the Minister of State very strongly where he says, "Ireland believes the retention of nuclear weapons, and in particular the threat of a renewed arms race, is itself a driver of insecurity and risk". I know that arguments have been made by those states that own nuclear weapons, but also by other countries that have relationships with those states. Some have suggested that the United States' possession of nuclear weapons provides us with a degree of security. We recently saw a crisis unfold in which 50 US nuclear weapons were placed in Turkey, 100 miles from the Syrian border, at a time when the international community was appealing to Turkey not to invade Syria. This is a clear illustration that we are now in a different climate, as Senator O'Reilly has said. There is now a concern that nuclear weapons put us all at risk in an unstable world.

As I have said, Ireland has a very strong and powerful role in respect of building peace. I mentioned Frank Aiken but I also want to acknowledge the work Ireland has done on this treaty and the work it has done with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons network and civil society champions with regard to legislating to prohibit nuclear weapons. Ireland has championed particular issues such as gender in disarmament. I am very aware that Ireland played a key role in ensuring that it is recognised in the preamble to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons that the, "equal, full and effective participation of both women and men is an essential factor for the promotion and attainment of sustainable peace and security". That is in line with the championing of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on the role of women in peace-building. I recognise and praise Ireland for this.

I was also very proud just over a decade ago when Ireland hosted the talks which led to the treaty banning cluster munitions. This recognised the appalling human damage done by cluster munitions. I am mentioning all of these things to demonstrate that Ireland has done extraordinary things and that we have been at our most powerful when we have been champions for peace. I am also concerned, however, that we are taking measures and steps which compromise our voice and role in that regard. I really need to acknowledge these. I will not go into them at length but they were raised in the debate on Ireland joining permanent structured co-operation, PESCO.

I am concerned that, given the massive expenditure on weaponry across Europe, Ireland may end up in joint procurement agreements with countries that are within NATO. Ireland may end up in joint procurement agreements with countries that hold nuclear weapons or that actively lobby against the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. There is a real question mark over military co-operation, whether through the Partnership for Peace, joint procurement under PESCO, or any similar measures taken with countries that are working against the agenda for peace. The Minister of State made the argument that an escalation in nuclear armaments creates more risk rather than moving us towards peace. That is also true in respect of armaments more widely. Unfortunately, we have seen that European defence funding has increased while the funding for social cohesion has decreased.

I applaud this legislation but I urge Ireland to step up and champion the work of social cohesion and peace-building. Peace is not just the absence of war and it is not the same thing as security. Peace takes work, investment and championing. We should take the international praise and recognition Ireland rightly receives in respect of the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear arms and use it as a moment to reconsider. I have also said this to the Minister, Deputy Coveney, in the past. It is a matter of gunboats or diplomacy. We cannot prioritise both. Ireland needs to prioritise diplomacy and the work of peace and to be consistent.

It would not be right to speak on this matter without giving a word of acknowledgment to our former colleague in this House, former Senator Grace O'Sullivan. She has scaled ships carrying nuclear weapons in her bare feet and was part of a Greenpeace mission that was bombed for its work in trying to prevent underground nuclear weapons testing. She has given us an example of how ethical individuals can challenge us and lead the way.In this regard I want to acknowledge two individuals from Veterans for Peace who have been mentioned previously in this House, Tarak Kauff and Ken Mayers.