Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I join with Senator O'Sullivan, whose comments were well made and showed perfect timing. In an article by Sorcha Pollak in The Irish Timeson 13 June 2022 entitled "Five Ukrainian soldiers with 'significant trauma-related injuries' airlifted to Dublin", a statement from a Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson was included. That spokesperson said Ireland was "not politically or morally neutral in the face of Russia's appalling attack against Ukraine". The article continues:

"Ireland has a long-standing policy of military neutrality, meaning that we do not participate in military alliances or mutual defence arrangements," he told The Irish Times. However, the treatment of injured Ukrainian combatants in Ireland reflects the State's "continuing commitment to work closely with our EU partners to provide humanitarian and other assistance to the people of Ukraine."

In making this statement, the Department has reiterated a falsehood that is directly in contravention of its own stated position on foreign policy. Let me once again refer to Ireland's only White Paper on foreign policy, which was published by the Department of Foreign Affairs not in 1922 or between 1939 and 1945, during the Second World War, but in 1995. Perhaps those in the Department have forgotten about it and perhaps it is time to remind them. Paragraph 4.5 of chapter 4 of Challenges and Opportunities Abroad: Ireland's White Paper on Foreign Policy, which is the section on international security, states:

In the strict sense of international law and practice, neutrality and its attendant rights and duties do not exist in peacetime; they arise only during a state of war. Neutrality represents an attitude of impartiality adopted by a state towards the participants in a conflict and recognised as such by the belligerents. Such an attitude creates certain rights and duties between the neutral state and the belligerents which commence at the outbreak of war and end with its cessation.

Has Ireland's position changed since this White Paper was published? If so, who changed it and where in the Oireachtas was it discussed? What is this nonsense about political or moral neutrality and where does it come from? Where can I find either position defined in international law? The statement refers to military neutrality and states that we do not participate in military alliances. Two points need to be made here. The first is that neutrality and military non-alignment are polar opposites. As a nation, are we neutral or non-aligned? If we are truly militarily non-aligned, why have we not joined the other 120 non-aligned countries in the world?

It is time for an informed national debate on Ireland's status. It is time for an honest debate. I call on the Cathaoirleach, someone who has led on many things, including the debate we had here yesterday, to bring such a debate to Seanad Éireann, the place where it must start. At the beginning of the term of this Seanad, when we were elected in 2020, I asked for a debate on neutrality. I ask for it again today. The citizens of this country deserve no less than an honest, clear and informed debate to allow a national discussion on Ireland's future military status to commence. We constantly hear this nonsense about political or moral neutrality and military non-alignment. The Irish Timesran a poll about people's attitude to neutrality. The people of Ireland do not know what is required of the State to be truly neutral or truly militarily non-aligned. I ask the Cathaoirleach to work with the Leader to bring experts to this House who will debate with its Members what it truly means for Ireland to be neutral or militarily non-aligned. Let us inform the debate before a citizens' assembly is put in place so that people are not talking about something that has not really been debated since the foundation of the State.