Mattie McGrath warns on NATO and defends Irish neutrality
Mattie McGrath spoke on 30 March 2022 about Ireland's neutrality, NATO, and the state of the Defence Forces. He argued for a clear signal of neutrality, called for a stronger national army to meet domestic needs, and criticised Fianna Gael, Fine Gael and some in Fianna Fáil.
Neutrality stance
He warned against moves towards NATO and the possibility of Ukraine getting involved in NATO, saying Ireland must protect and value its neutrality. He urged the country to have dignity and respect for itself and all peoples and to avoid adopting "pan-European views" he associated with Fine Gael.
Praise for peacekeepers and missionaries
He paid tribute to the army and Irish peacekeepers for their service around the world and praised missionaries, sisters, brothers and priests for training, educating and providing water and aid. He noted NGOs now play a role but stressed the sacrifices and dedication of those who served with little.
Criticism of defence policy
He said the army "has been run down to nothing" and described government actions over the past 10-11 years as an insult to serving officers. He argued that depending on others leaves the country unable to help itself or others and called for investment to allow the Defence Forces to respond to floods, famine or other catastrophes.
Concerns about international intervention and leadership
He criticised past interventions in the Middle East, saying they left messes and led to suffering for minority communities. He urged caution with words and action, questioned current international leadership and referenced EU Councils and "President Biden attending now" as points of concern.
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I too weren't supporting this motion, but I suppose there are pitfalls in it. I want a salute to what our army did, our peacekeepers did all over the world, and indeed we were recognised Ireland has been a neutral country, back to Sean McBride and he's a Tim, so I am concerned, I am very concerned about Fianna Gael and their sounds and their noises, and some in Fianna Fáil as well. We are in this youth club now, as if it is almighty, and the whole issue of NATO, and Ukraine getting involved in NATO, and the sound of all men around it, and now we have a mess, and they are afraid to do anything. We have to give a clear signal that we are a neutral country, have dignity and respect for ourselves, and all peoples, and what happened, we have the experience of what happened in the Middle East, and Eto'on bombed the hell out of Saddam Hussein and all the rest of them, and left messes after them. Under Saddam and others, I have no spokesman for them, minority Christian and Muslim traditions were allowed practice, and with freedom and impunity, now they are being slaughtered, and we walked away from it, and I am not saying we, I am saying the rest of the world who did this in the name of I don't know who, so we have to be very careful here with words, again our missionaries, our sisters and brothers and priests went all over the world, training and educating people and providing water, and still do it, NGOs have replaced them somewhat now, but we must never forget what those people did with so little, and give up their lives, and dedication, and their vocation, and their passion, so our army has been run down to nothing, it is an insult to these good officers in the army, and your government, over the past 10, 11 years have done it spectacularly, and depending on everybody else then to come in and help us, those who can't help themselves can't help anybody else, so we need a decent army here, to help in our flooding, and any kinds of famine, or issues that might arise here, or catastrophes, and sidekicks for anybody else, so we have to make haste slowly here, protect and value our neutrality, and be really neutral, not with the pan-European views that Fine Gael have, and Fine Gael now have as well, and we see the EU Councils, and we have President Biden attending now, so what is going on, I ask, thank you.
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