Ireland To Attend Nato Summit

by Justin Moran - Sinn Fein Thu Nov 07, 2002 17:41 maigh_nuad at yahoo dot com

Irish attendance at NATO meeting “a shame and a disgrace”
– Ó Caoláin

The leader of the Sinn Féin group in the Dáil, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD, has condemned the Government’s decision to send representatives to the next NATO Summit in Prague later this month.

Speaking in the Dáil debate on the recent Brussels EU summit, Deputy Ó Caoláin said:

“We learned yesterday that for the first time ever this State is to be represented at a NATO summit where the Minister for Foreign Affairs will lead a high-level delegation. This is a shame and a disgrace. The Department of Foreign Affairs must take the Irish people for fools if they expect them to accept their explanation that the Minister is not really attending a NATO meeting but a meeting of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership. The EAPC is meeting in the same building at the same time as the main NATO event and they will have shared meetings. The EAPC is the political wing of NATO’s so-called Partnership for Peace. And the PfP is an integral part of NATO.

“Is it not time for the Government to end the charade and to admit that it no longer has a policy of military neutrality. It is quite pathetic for them to allow Shannon to be used by foreign powers as a military staging post and then to pretend that it is something quite normal which no-one should worry about. It is equally pathetic to have Ministers slinking in and out of NATO meetings, like the boys at the back of the chapel in days gone by.”

Full text – check against delivery:

This is the first opportunity I have had to address EU Affairs in the House since the referendum. I want to commend the progressive parties, groups and individuals, including deputies here, who campaigned against the Treaty of Nice. Despite the onslaught of the entire establishment the ‘No’ vote held firm and just over 37% of voters were not prepared to be coerced into reversing their decision of last year. That very large section of the electorate includes people who normally vote for all parties in the Dáil. It is bad for democracy that their views are not properly reflected within the other political parties.

The result of the referendum was disappointing and is, in our view, a setback for Irish sovereignty and neutrality and for the accountability of EU institutions. Unlike the Government and its allies, who dismissed the people’s verdict on the last occasion, we accept it. But we will maintain continued vigilance against the growing inequality within the EU, a process Nice will accelerate.

It has to be said that in no previous referendum did the print media, particularly the Irish Times and Irish Independent, display such blatant bias and lack of balance in their coverage. That is something that has major implications for democracy in this country. In contrast the broadcast media was, by and large, fair and balanced.

The European Council meeting in Brussels saw the enlargement process move on, something that would have happened anyway, no matter what the referendum result here. I welcome the Brussels’ summit endorsement of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus and Malta as ready to complete accession talks in December and to join the European Union in 2004. That accession must, of course, be subject to the approval of the people in each of those states.

I believe it is very significant that, despite the endorsement of these ten states, there were sharp differences between them and the existing EU states on future funding. There are huge problems ahead, particularly in relation to the Common Agricultural Policy. This is something which has not been properly examined and debated in Ireland. There has been little examination of the long-term impact of the accession of tens of millions of farmers to the EU. There is little long-term planning about the future of farming in Ireland with its massive over-dependence on EU aid. The focus needs to shift to rural regeneration, the sustainable development of agriculture and the building of rural communities. That change must be driven from Ireland and from those communities.

It is not realistic in the long term to sustain Irish agriculture and our diminishing rural communities on the basis of the Common Agricultural Policy. Yet it is the short-term view which predominates and we rarely look beyond the next meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers. The Irish Government does not appear to have any strategy to deal with Commissioner Fischler’s CAP reform proposals other than to hope that the French will be able to veto any detrimental changes. That is not good enough.

The Government and its supporters told us neutrality was not an issue in the referendum and that neutrality was not under threat. But look at what has happened in the days and weeks after the referendum. The Brussels European Council meeting accepted the text of a joint NATO-EU declaration whereby the EU Rapid Reaction Force will be funded by NATO. It mandated EU Foreign Policy chief Javier Solana to continue negotiations with NATO on this funding. The Brussels-approved text is to be discussed at the NATO Summit in Prague later this month.

We learned yesterday that for the first time ever this State is to be represented at that NATO summit where the Minister for Foreign Affairs will lead a high-level delegation. This is a shame and a disgrace. The Department of Foreign Affairs must take the Irish people for fools if they expect them to accept their explanation that the Minister is not really attending a NATO meeting but a meeting of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership. The EAPC is meeting in the same building at the same time as the main NATO event and they will have shared meetings. The EAPC is the political wing of NATO’s so-called Partnership for Peace. And the PfP is an integral part of NATO.

Is it not time for the Government to end the charade and to admit that it no longer has a policy of military neutrality. It is quite pathetic for them to allow Shannon to be used by foreign powers as a military staging post and then to pretend that it is something quite normal which no-one should worry about. It is equally pathetic to have Ministers slinking in and out of NATO meetings, like the boys at the back of the chapel in days gone by.

The dust has hardly settled on the Nice referendum and already this Government is breaking its commitment to honour Irish neutrality.
In conclusion I want to call for an early debate in this House on the proposals for a draft EU Constitution which have emerged from the EU Convention. These proposals would pave the way for a fully fledged United States of Europe with a central government. They are outline proposals at present and there is clearly a huge divergence of opinion on their implications but now is the time they should be discussed here so that at the very earliest stage the representatives of the people have a full input into the process.

by deunan Thu Nov 07, 2002 21:09

many small parties and other anti-nice groups objected on the basis of forced privatisation of member public services(CIE) and militarisation(NATO) and it all comes to pass......don't say we didn't warn you

by Daniel Thu Nov 07, 2002 21:28

The outcome of the Nice Treaty had no effect on Irelands attendence at this meeting. FACT.

Anyway, better to be sitting at the table with a voice, than isolated and floating out toward iceland. Anti nice groups were just isloationist nationalists.

by Justin Moran - Sinn Fein Thu Nov 07, 2002 21:47 maigh_nuad at yahoo dot com

I've heard the SWP called many things but isolationist nationalists is a new one on me ;)

by Intransigent Thu Nov 07, 2002 22:36

Can ya'll just give up on Nice...It's over though it may haunt some...Time to look forward...Focus on changing the future...We can't change the past

by Nice is not over! Fri Nov 08, 2002 11:52

Both Bertie and Ruairi denied outright that Art 133 provides for the Privatisation of Public Services, We know it does and that they have been dealing with the WTO on our behalf by negociating whtat services are first to become available
WE THE PUBLIC DEMAND TO KNOW WHAT BERTIE HAS HANDED OVER !!!
Nice debate isn't over until Bountiful Bertie starts to Squeal!

by Niall Fri Nov 08, 2002 12:09

You'd hardly call them nationalists.

by Mr O´as if - rts & genome (for peace) Fri Nov 08, 2002 12:40 ipsiphi23 at email dot com barcelona normally ... 'adesso in giro tutto posto!' 0034679708674

Hi!
I and the satelite heavy anarcho-syndicalist european occupation neutrality muppets will leave Barcelona to go east to our old favourite city Prague soon.
Don´t you think a mass-mobilisation "cross party non party" protest at Shannon to co-incide with NATO summit would be a good idea?

The NATO summit shall see
Number of police officers to be deployed = 12,000
Number of protesters expected 10,000-12,000
Number of NATO attendees 5,800
Number of heads of state expected = 46
(and now you know one is Bertie and the little rascals).
350 million Kc spent for police gear = lots of €.
Gas included.

interested go to:
http://www.praguepost.com/P03/2002/Art/1023/news1.php

The NATO summit shall see many neuetral countries on the agenda.
Finland included.

let me know what you think and offer me other addresses to ask the question make suggestions.
pass it all along,
yours etc. in a good good mood,
iosaf
with sugar on top.

iosaf mac diarmada

by Justin Moran - Sinn Fein Fri Nov 08, 2002 15:17 maigh_nuad at yahoo dot com

Nationalists is one thing among the many I have never called the Sticks :)