Paul Murphy Challenges Government Over Neutrality, Ukraine Training
Paul Murphy accused the government of exploiting Putin's invasion of Ukraine to undermine Ireland's neutrality and opposed participation in an EU training mission for the Ukrainian army. He argued the government has escalated defence ties, joined defence meetings and supplied military equipment without a constitutional vote under Article 28.
Main accusation
Paul Murphy told the Taoiseach the government had "very cynically used Putin's imperialist and brutal invasion" to drive a coach and horses through the idea of neutrality. He pointed to an announced EU training mission expected to begin in mid-November as the next step towards greater military involvement.
Meetings and military ties
Murphy highlighted Ireland's participation in five meetings of the Ukraine Contact Defence Group, which he said the US Secretary of Defence described as a NATO alliance meeting at NATO headquarters on the US airbase at Rammstein in Germany. He also raised concerns about increased engagement in PESCO and the provision of military equipment to Ukraine.
Constitutional and legal concern
He said no vote had been held under Article 28 of the Constitution and reminded colleagues that the Constitution states the state shall not participate in any war. Murphy urged the government to stop what he called an attack on neutrality and to respect public sentiment in favour of remaining neutral.
Policy alternatives proposed by Murphy
Instead of further military involvement, Murphy urged the government to focus on what he called real solidarity with the Ukrainian people - calling for cancellation of debt, shutting down the shadow banking system and providing housing for Ukrainians, refugees and homeless people in Ireland.
Government response and demining request
The Taoiseach rejected Murphy's allegation that the government had contrived the war and said the claim was shocking. He repeatedly stated Ireland was not joining NATO, that no government decision had been taken, and suggested a citizens' assembly could be considered in future. The Taoiseach also said Ukrainian leaders had asked for help with demining, recalled Ireland's role in international work on cluster munitions years ago, and expressed support for training Ukrainians in demining while insisting Ireland remains neutral and operates within its triple-lock framework.
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Taoiseach, this government has very cynically used Putin's imperialist and brutal invasion of Ukraine to drive a coach and horses through what is left of the idea of neutrality. Last week, Minister Coveney said that Ireland will participate in the EU's training mission for the Ukrainian army, expected to get underway in mid-November. It is very clear that this is the next step in the government's determined effort to involve Ireland in European and eventually in NATO military undertakings. It comes alongside the fact that the Irish government has now participated in five meetings of the Ukraine Contact Defence Group, a group described by the US Secretary of Defence as a NATO alliance, a body which meets at the NATO headquarters at the US airbase of Rammstein in Germany. It comes alongside the escalation of Ireland's involvement in PESCO and the provision of military equipment to Ukraine. You are doing all of this in open defiance of the wish of an overwhelming majority of people to remain neutral from all of the imperialist military blocs that are a scourge on the people of the world. You are also doing it without any vote under Article 28 of the Constitution, which says clearly the state shall not participate in any war, save with the ascent of Dole Erwin. Will you stop this attack on neutrality and instead focus on real solidarity with Ukrainian people, call for cancellation of the debt, shut down the shadow banking system here and provide housing for Ukrainians and all refugees and all homeless people here? I must take issue with Deputy Murphy's point. I think he used the phrase that we are cynically using Putin's war to drive coaching for through our neutrality. One would imagine that we had contrived the war and able to do this. It just, I think it's a shocking thing to say. We are not doing that at all and I reject it in its entirety. But I just, over the 45 minutes that we've been here this afternoon, and I know you hate me saying this, Deputy, but you'll attack everybody else. You'll attack Ireland. You're attacking us now in the context of the Irish government, the context of the Ukraine war. And you're not attacking Russia. You say it and you speed on quickly. So the only, no, no, no, the point is, sorry, sorry, sorry, through the chair, the point is, for the last 45 minutes, you spent the last three or four minutes saying Ireland is trying to breach, the government is trying to breach neutrality. That was a more concern to you than the fact that Iranian drones are raining down on Ukrainian civilians. And why did the Ukrainian government ask us for help in relation to training? I met the prime minister last week, or the week before, sorry, at the European political community. Do you know what he asked me for? Help in demining. Why did he ask for help in demining? Because there's mines all over Ukraine. Now you turn that into an attack on neutrality. It makes my blood boil. Because you only see evil everywhere. You see wrong everywhere. You see wrong motivation. I've made it clear that we're not joining NATO. That no government decision has been taken. By the way, people can have different perspectives on that. I suggest we have a citizens' assembly in the fullness of time. But not now in the middle of this conflict, this war. The point I'm trying to make is, where we can help and where I think we should help, through the chair, where we should help. We'll have the T-shirt without interruption. But Prime Minister Schimel said it's a real problem for them. As Russian forces vacate areas, there are mines left. We knew this when we were involved in getting the Cluster Convention, for example. And Ireland led that with Norway and the Vatican over 20 years ago. Or 10 years ago, sorry. Likewise, we know armies like Russia will leave stuff behind them. Where kids will have their legs amputated. Where families, when they step on the wrong mines and so on. They've asked us for help to de-mine that. We will, I think we should train Ukrainians if they seek help on that aspect of it. The European Union countries definitely are free to do what they want to do within their laws. We can only do what we, within the framework that we have set ourselves in terms of the triple lock and so on like that. We are not participants in the war. T-shirt, we're aware of that. Because of our neutrality policy. That's been made crystal clear to Ukraine. Our military neutrality has been made crystal clear to all parties. That is accepted. So please don't try and sort of throw fog in the way or throw a bit of confusion about the place. And try and, you know, accuse us of actions that we're not engaged in and alleging motivations that are completely untrue.
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