THE Catholic peace organisation Pax Christi has called on the Government to bring in a unilateral ban on landmines to allow Ireland to lead the growing international movement against the weapon.
The secretary of the organisation's Irish section, Mr Tony D'Costa, said that when Ireland first called for a total international ban on the manufacture, stockpiling, export and use of mines in May 1994, only three other countries - Sweden, Mexico and Estoma - supported such a ban.
Now 22 countries have come out in favour of a ban, including four other EU countries - Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden - and five Nato members.
Mr D'Costa congratulated the Government on consistently calling for the international ban, most recently at a meeting of experts last month to prepare for the resumption of the review conference on the UN Inhumane. Weapons Convention this spring.
He said Ireland now "stands in an ideal position to take a leadership role in relation to these horrific weapons, which are claiming 500 new victims every week, most of them civilians".
If Ireland followed the example of Belgium and legislated to outlaw anti personnel mines in Ireland, it would "bring pressure on other countries and would be a step in the direction of achieving the Irish Government's stated objection of a total international ban".
In an answer to a Dail question in December, the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, rejected the comparisons with Belgium on the grounds that unlike Ireland, Belgium was formerly a substantial producer of landmines. He said it was not appropriate for the Government to introduce legislation - to ban mines. "Ireland has no armaments industry and our forward role on the landmines question is fully appreciated in the international community."
In another Dail answer this week, Mr Spring said that as a member of the EU troika (the past, present and future foreign ministers of the EU presidency states) Ireland was "directly evolved in efforts to persuade key third countries to accept the widest possible prohibitions and restrictions" on landmines.
Department of Foreign sources also stressed that Ireland's first priority in the disarmament area was to ratify the extremely complicated Chemical Weapons Convention, which has direct relevance because of the significant Irish pharmaceutical industry.
Ireland is one of five EU countries not to have ratified this convention, and the only one which cannot set a date by which the ratification procedures will be completed. The Italian presidency and other EU nations are pushing hard for such a timetable.