Shannon Airport a staging post for war

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday January 29, 2003 01:53 by Republican

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Aengus Ó Snodaigh has described reports that the Minister for Transport Seamus Brennan has authorised the transportation of munitions of war through Shannon Airport as a "corruption of the democratic will of the Irish people" and "an act of political and moral cowardice".

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Aengus Ó Snodaigh has described reports that the Minister for Transport Seamus Brennan has authorised the transportation of munitions of war through Shannon Airport as a "corruption of the democratic will of the Irish people" and "an act of political and moral cowardice".

Speaking after reports that the Minister had only this week authorised the transportation of the munitions Deputy Ó Snodaigh said:

"It's becoming very clear that Irish laws were systematically broken with the connivance of the Government during the weeks and months prior to Seamus Brennan giving this authorisation. That he done so in secret without any publicity or fanfare or without the approval of the Dáil is a clear indication that this Government is out of step with the electorate on this very important issue.

"The Governments position on allowing Shannon Airport to be used by the US military in preparing for war on Iraq is a corruption of the democratic will of the Irish people. The prostitution of our neutrality by Bertie Ahern, Brian Cowen and now Seamus Brennan makes it obvious that those who voted Yes during the Nice Treaty referendum on the basis that neutrality would be protected were conned on a large scale.

"This move by the Fianna Fáil/PD coalition is a dishonest act of political and moral cowardice that clearly goes against the wishes of the majority of Irish people and must be reversed.

"Figures released by the Department of Transport this afternoon merely confirm what anti-war protesters have been saying for weeks now. Despite government denials it was clear that US warplanes were transporting munitions through Shannon airport in a flagrant breach of our neutrality. And their figure of 26 warplanes is a very conservative estimate.

"The government approach to this matter has been one of misinformation and deception. It is time that we heard the truth, had an honest debate in the Dáil and ensured that the wishes of the people are respected."