Consultative Forum on International Security Policy: Statements
Dail Éireann — 2023-05-18
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Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire

That is the truth about neutrality. The Tánaiste talks of security threats but my strongly held view is the best protection Irish troops and this country have is our reputation for being a former colonial country that has opposed war and imperialism and is not part of any of the big imperialist blocs. If we become associated with US, UK or European foreign policy, it will seriously threaten the safety of our troops around the world. I honestly believe that. It will undermine a precious reputation we have built up as a country opposed to colonialism, discrimination and oppression by big powers in particular. We will become associated with war crimes of the sort the United States committed in Iraq and that Israel commits against Palestinians. That would be a disaster for this country’s security and it would be and is a trashing of Irish neutrality.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2023-05-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:51:55+00:00
Sitting date: 2023-05-18