Sinn Fein would be better employed in pushing for decommissioning of arms in Northern Ireland than raising the spectre of Europe becoming militarised after the Nice Treaty referendum, the Tanaiste has said.
During a day-long visit to Cork, Ms Harney said left-wing parties which opposed the Nice Treaty did so because they were against international trade and investment. "The Workers' Party, Joe Higgins and Sinn Fein are hostile to the international companies that account directly for at least 140,000 jobs in Ireland today", she said.
Sinn Fein's suggestion that the EU was becoming militarised must also be resisted.
"Who are Sinn Fein to talk? Talk they may, in a democracy, but should the Irish people put any faith in what Sinn Fein says about the use of legitimate, democratically controlled, armed forces?" Ms Harney said.
"Sinn Fein could do a lot more itself for demilitarisation in one part of Europe, Northern Ireland, by pushing for decommissioning of arms and Semtex." Ireland's participation in Europe after the Nice Treaty would be guarded by a triple lock. It would be up to us to decide whether to agree or not to any operation involving the rapid reaction force. Participation would require the approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas and under our laws we could only participate in UN-mandated operations, Ms Harney said.