Paul Murphy criticises report pushing big military spend and NATO ties

Thanks. This report is really an attempt to soften up public opinion for a massive increase in military spending and link to that further integration and cooperation with NATO. That's the truth. The logic of the report makes no sense in its own terms. If you believe the line from all these people who half the time are in favour of further integration with NATO that really this is about protecting neutrality, the logic of it does not make sense. The reason given that we need to massively expand the amount of money we spend on the military is that without a credible military, if we don't massively increase the spending, we won't have a credible military capability to protect Ireland, its people and its resources for any sustained period. On that basis, the proposal is to triple the spending on the military to go for 3 billion euros a year. But no amount of money that a country like Ireland could spend will provide the basis for a sustained military encounter with any sort of major state. No amount of money. The British spend 20 times that amount every single year. Russia spends 20 times that amount every single year. The US spends 200 times that amount every single year. Have you read the report? I have read the report. I have read the report and I will get to the point because that logic makes no sense. So how can you explain it? And how you explain it, if anyone reads the report, I encourage them to, is the 44 references to NATO. I quote, just one, they are all like this, the need for the defence forces to be trained and equipped to NATO standards. Why? So you can have further operations in line with NATO. That is what this is about. If you listen to Deputy Crow from Fianna Fáil's remarks, criticising the government for not being hard enough on the Russian military, the operations in the EEZ. Think about how that was spun by the media and by the government. We are against all military operations. We are against the military training exercises by the Russians in the EEZ, out of the EEZ. But we are also against the operations of NATO warships that happen in the EEZ all the time. I asked the Minister about to ask for a list of all those exercises, other than Irish exercises, within EEZ waters over the last 20 years. He wouldn't give me an answer. He says they have collated data. It is not unusual for naval ships or vessels of other states to carry out training exercises within the Irish EEZ or to passage through this area. It is not unusual. Which countries? NATO countries. And then we know that they use Shannon Airport day in, day out. Over a million US troops pass through Shannon Airport. Who knows how many people brought back the other way in terms of rendition flights. I want to deal with one particular thing, which is the squadron of jet combat planes. A single one of these planes take the Saab Gripen, which is mentioned in one of the submissions, 75 million euros apiece. And we are talking about buying a squadron of 12 or 24 of those. One of these planes is the equivalent of a housing estate of 350 houses. 12 airplanes is not going to scare off the Russians or the Britons or the Americans or the Chinese or whoever. But 12 new housing estates would make a real impact for thousands of people. A full squadron of jets would be 1.8 billion euros. More than the National Children's Hospital. At least the Children's Hospital will actually serve a real purpose. This is simply giving money to armaments companies, dealers of death, for no purpose other than some macho posturing. The Labour Party, Deputy Richard Pikeاؤ. Colonel Michael sensualistины ofalling auxaires. At least the London да세 sighted with University of Jakarta we get back. Thank you.