Written answers
Tuesday, 21 March 2023
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Foreign Policy
Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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549. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will further elaborate on his comments, reported in the media regarding Irish neutrality, that neutrality is a policy issue that can change at any time, subject to the Houses of the Oireachtas or the Government of the day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13382/23]
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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A number of States, including Ireland, pursue a policy of military neutrality. In practical terms, Ireland’s policy of military neutrality, as pursued by successive Governments, is characterised by non-membership of military alliances and non-participation in common or mutual defence arrangements. There are no plans to alter this policy at this time.
At the same time, neutrality has never stopped Ireland from participating in world events nor, self-evidently, from being affected by them. Nor does it mean that we are inactive in situations where we see flagrant breaches of the UN Charter and clear violations of international law, including international humanitarian law.As the Government has repeatedly emphasised in relation to Russia’s illegal and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, being militarily neutral does not mean we are politically or morally neutral.
Ireland’s policy of military neutrality is not set out in, or required, by Bunreacht na hÉireann. At the same time, the Constitution contains a number of provisions in respect of core principles underlying Ireland's foreign policy approach, including those which affirm Ireland’s “devotion to the ideal of peace and friendly cooperation amongst nations founded on international justice and morality” and Ireland’s “adherence to the principle of the pacific settlement of international disputes”. More specifically in respect of security and defence policy, the Constitution includes a provision that the “State shall not adopt a decision taken by the European Council to establish a common defence pursuant to Article 42 of the Treaty on European Union where that common defence would include the State.” Article 28.3.1 of the Constitution states that " war shall not be declared and the State shall not participate.
Finally, the Constitution stipulates that the conduct of foreign policy is a matter for the Government, under certain conditions laid down by law.
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