Former Fianna Fáil minister ‘wary’ of any change to Irish neutrality

Ireland should be wary of jettisoning its traditional policy of neutrality which has served the country well in helping to develop a strong tradition of promoting world peace, former minister Éamon Ó Cuív has said.

Mr Ó Cuív said Ireland had been an outspoken advocate for the rights of small nations and the need to resolve international disputes by dialogue since its acceptance into the League of Nations in September 1923.

“In the 1930s, Ireland warned repeatedly of the dangers of impending war and supported the imposition of sanctions on Italy for its invasion of Ethiopia. During the second World War, Ireland did what many nations, including the USA, tried to do by remaining neutral.

“The only difference in our case was that we were not attacked. Again, on admittance to the United Nations in the 1950s, Ireland took a strong rights-based approach, partaking in peace keeping missions across the globe under the UN flag,” said Mr Ó Cuív, a Fianna Fáil TD for Galway West.

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Speaking at an event in Co Tipperary to mark the centenary of the death of anti-Treaty IRA leader, Liam Lynch, Mr Ó Cuív recalled that Lynch’s successor became a strong advocate against the arms race.

“Frank Aiken, the successor to Liam Lynch as chief of staff in 1923 and later minister of foreign affairs, led on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty in the 1960s and took a controversial and radical stand on the China issue at the same time.

[ Public discussions on future of Irish neutrality to be held later this year ]

“Ours, therefore, was never a passive or inward-looking neutrality but a clear, independent approach, based on international dialogue, peace and judicial resolution in international affairs,” Mr Ó Cuív told several hundred people at the event.

Last week, Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin, announced plans to hold a national forum on Ireland’s international security policy, with meetings scheduled to take place in Cork, Galway and Dublin across four days in June.

Mr Martin said the discussions will hear from security experts, academics and the public. The forum will be based on the principles of a Citizens’ Assembly model and will examine security policy options and what any changes would mean for Ireland’s neutrality.

Speaking at a Government press conference, Mr Martin said the forum is not just on “the binary issue of neutrality” but, instead, will examine “a broad spectrum” of issues. The “evolution” of threats to Ireland, cyber security and “triple lock issues” will be discussed.

Mr Ó Cuív, grandson of Fianna Fáil founder Éamon de Valera – who kept Ireland neutral during the second World War – sounded a note of caution, however, about any moves that would lead to a change in Ireland’s neutrality.

“There is talk in recent times that Ireland should give up on this approach and become either part of a Common European Defence or a member of Nato and, thus, with their mutual defence pacts, give up the exclusive right of the Dáil to decide for Ireland on matters of peace or war.

[ Neutrality no longer seen as viable posture for Europe post-Ukraine ]

“I am glad I was a member of a government that proposed inserting a clause in the Constitution in 2002 that says that we cannot become part of an EU Common Defence without it being passed in a referendum.

“I believe, with our history, we should be wary of such a move and recognise that the ultimate sovereignty of the people is as precious now as it was when Liam Lynch died after being shot on the Knockmealdown mountains a hundred years ago today.”

Turning to the anniversary of the Belfast Agreement, Mr Ó Cuív noted the peace deal had endeavoured to set an agreed political roadmap that offered the opportunity for achieving Irish unity.

Mr Ó Cuív said that as somebody who always believed in inclusive dialogue, he felt it was important to salute the memory of Gordon Wilson, Fr Alex Reid and John Hume, who all realised that progress could only be predicated on inclusive dialogue, even with those involved in violence.

In moving forward, he said: “We must be flexible and good listeners. In the meantime, we must ensure that the democratic structures presently in place North and South, and between North and South, function properly with nobody excluded.

“In this regard, I strongly believe that not enough recognition was given in 2019 by the Irish government to the strongly held views of many in the unionist community on Brexit and the Northern Ireland protocol and I welcome the recent recognition of this in the Windsor Framework.”