The Government is steadily eroding Irish neutrality and cannot be trusted on the issue, speakers at a meeting of the Irish Anti-War Movement claimed today.
The group, which opposed to a US-led attack on Iraq, says the Government is compromising Irish neutrality by allowing the US military use of Shannon Airport and Irish airspace.
The movement says the situation is in "direct breach of the tradition and legally enshrined position of military neutrality."
The group issued a statement in opposition to any proposed attack on Iraq and calling on the Government to "vote against any resolution on the UN Security Council designed to pave the way for such a war."
Green Party TD, Mr John Gormley, said the Government could not be trusted on the issue of neutrality.
Mr Gormley said the use of Shannon by the US military was "now being taken for granted" and the issue needed to be debated in the Dáil.
He said the Seville Declaration in the Nice Treaty was no safeguard for neutrality and that the treaty was one more step in the militarisation of the EU.
Mr Roger Cole of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance said the Fianna Fáil Party was "committed to the destruction of Irish neutrality" and speculated that money may be at the centre of it.
Sinn Fein's Mr Daithí Doolan said the Government's position of allowing US planes to land on Irish soil en-route to Iraq was eroding our stated position of neutrality and was seriously out of touch with the people.
However, the Minister of Transport, Mr Brennan, this afternoon dismissed the arguments against US planes refuelling at Shannon.
"I happen to know Shannon regards it as very good business, and has done since it began in 1951" he said. He insisted there were no weapons carried on the flights, only personnel.
The Minister of State for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr Willie O'Dea, argued that the Nice treaty would "copper-fasten" Irish neutrality and there was no suggestion that activities at Shannon compromised this position.
The Irish Anti-War Movement is organising a protest at Shannon Airport on October 12th