Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This week, the Government chose to reject the Sinn Féin motion on neutrality. Instead, the Government continues in its dying days to push through a fundamental shift in our foreign policy legislation, which will remove the triple lock and, in our view, will undermine our credibility on the world stage. It will push through legislation that is in very stark contrast to Fianna Fail’s recent manifesto and indeed the programme for Government. Our neutrality is long held. It is cherished by the Irish people. Being neutral is not only our greatest protection and defence, it is also our greatest tool in being able to present a positive and constructive role in the world. It has provided this State with credibility and impartiality to be a voice for peace and de-escalation the world over.

I do not need to speak about the underfunding of the Defence Forces. We undershot the required capital investment by €70 million this year. The budget for next year also means that there will be another underinvestment of €70 million. There is a retention and recruitment crisis in our Defence Forces. The report by the commission on the future of the Defence Forces identified the implementation of the working time directive as a priority issue. Yet, 19 months later, that has still not been implemented.

The Government must not ram through this legislation to remove the triple lock. They do not have a mandate to do this. There is no programme for Government commitment, and it was not in any manifesto either. We are also part of the EU, which is always keen to proclaim its commitment to peace, human rights, the rule of law and democracy. We know, however, the identity of the EU as a political project has shifted dramatically. Security and defence spending in the EU is now €44 billion, which is an increase of 123% since the last budgetary cycle. It is a political choice to fund arms, guns and tanks over culture and education. There is no doubt about it: one of the outcomes of the war in Ukraine will be the further militarisation of the European Union, and that will happen in our name, too. That is why Ireland needs to be relentless in its pursuit of a European Union that is based on peace, and not on hard power or militarism. Call me naive, but we know the story. In the end, politics comes in and decides the outcome. Ireland and the EU should always advocate for a political process immediately.