Mattie McGrath Challenges Government Over Warships and Neutrality
Mattie McGrath questioned the minister about warships docking in Cork harbour, Garda presence and whether the Taoiseach's statements signal a shift from Irish neutrality. He demanded to know on whose authority the Taoiseach acted and criticised a delayed handover to attend an international summit.
Parliamentary questioning
Mattie McGrath pressed the minister on the number of warships recently docking in Cork harbour, naming Canadians, British and others, and asked why they were being guarded by a large number of Gardaí when approached peacefully. He argued there had been no debate or referendum in the Dáil about any change to neutrality and asked who authorised the Taoiseach's position.
Minister's remit and suggested inquiries
The minister said warship visits to ports are not a matter for the European Council and recommended parliamentary questions be raised with the relevant department, the port of Cork or Cork City Council for specifics. He added the topic had not been raised at the European Council session he attended.
Neutrality and international law
The minister said the Taoiseach has made clear neutrality is defined by non-membership of military alliances and that there are no plans to join any such alliances. He argued that when a country is attacked basic principles of international law and United Nations norms have been broken and must be defended.
Role of the United Nations tradition
The minister highlighted a tradition of engagement with the United Nations system, noting that Fianna Fáil and the Minister of Foreign Affairs played a role in developing that international framework. He framed upholding UN principles as consistent with being a democratic state bound by the rule of law.
Temporary peace facility and supplies to Ukraine
The minister denied that Ireland was providing weapons to Ukraine and said contributions were to a temporary peace facility of non-lethal military equipment. He noted Austria, described as also a neutral country, had made similar contributions and said the equipment was gratefully received by Ukrainians.
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Minister, you might answer me today, you didn't, the last time I asked you here about the number of warships that have recently docked in the port in the harbour of Cork and was that with the imprimatur of the government, Canadians, certainly British and others and why are they in there, why are they being minded by a fleet of, oh sorry, a large number of Gardaí when anybody approached them peacefully I might add, not to go to damage a warship by walking up to it and asking questions and have armed and unarmed Gardaí arrived and the other thing I want to ask you is, you might answer please, on whose authority has the Taoiseach decided to decide that we're not a neutral country anymore, our neutrality is outdated, which he's stated a number of times he alluded to and we can see by his actions, on whose authority, we had no debate on that in this house, we had no plebiscite or referendum on the matter, it was sacrosanct always here in this country, I understood, as a book of Logan, when I was in the same party as you were, has this all changed with Taoiseach Martin in his quest to become a European commissioner or European whatever, and whose authority and can he just sign up to funds for different causes, for uniforms or for hats or for training now to sweep mines, and whose authority is he acting, because we haven't had a debate on this, it hasn't been authorised by this parliament anyway, that I know of certainly, I'm on the business committee and there hasn't been any debates put forward there either, so I'd like an answer to those questions, on whose authority is he acting on, is he, and the fact that he's delayed the handover now for two more days, to sit on the 17th, despite what staff and everybody else might have to put up with Christmas week literally, to get two more days to attend another global summit, so he really is proven, who out in the blaze of glory is a globalist. Minister to respond, please, two minutes. I won't respond to that last point, but can I just say in relation to warships visiting ports, I mean, it's not a matter for the European Council, so I have no information on that, and it suggests that PQ be raised to the relevant department, or indeed inquiries to the port of Cork, or indeed to Cork City Council, I suppose would have the answer to that, I don't, because I'm here to discuss the European Council, and simply wasn't raised at the European Council. In relation to the issue of neutrality, the Taoiseach has made it very, very clear, that our neutrality is characterised by non-membership of military alliances, and the Taoiseach has also said there are no plans to join any military alliances, but when one country gets effectively beaten up, many of its citizens killed by another country, there are very basic principles of international law that have been broken. Those basic principles of international law come from the United Nations system, which you'll know, Deputy, that Fianna Fáil, people like Minister Frank Akin, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, absolutely played a massive role in putting together over many years that international system. That's the system that we uphold, and that's the system that we have to uphold if we want to be a democratic state bound by the rule of law, and if we want to insist that others maintain those principles. So my party and your former party has a very proud tradition in the United Nations system. The UN General Assembly on many occasions has condemned Russia's actions. Why? Because the actions of Russia breach the basic principles of the United Nations that we all sign up to. And it's a very, very simple proposition for us on this side. There is no issue with it whatsoever. There is no suggestion that we're providing weapons to the Ukraine. There is no suggestion that we're joining NATO or we're taking part in any common defence. What we have done in the temporary peace facility is contribute to non-lethal military equipment. And Austria, which is also a neutral country, has done the same. And we've done that. We've proudly done that. And that equipment is very important and has been very gratefully received by the Ukrainians. Thank you. Never forget.
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