Election 2024

Withdrawal from EU military co-operation will defend Irish neutrality, says Boyd Barrett

Leader of People Before Profit says Ireland’s neutrality has been systematically undermined

People Before Profit leader Richard Boyd Barrett says the party would seek to 'end the use of Shannon Airport by the US military'. Photograph: Cillian Sherlock/PA Wire'
People Before Profit leader Richard Boyd Barrett says the party would seek to 'end the use of Shannon Airport by the US military'. Photograph: Cillian Sherlock/PA Wire'
Pat Leahy Political Editor
Wed Nov 13 2024 - 19:21

People Before Profit (PBP) say they will “defend Ireland’s neutrality” by withdrawing from EU military co-operation and from Nato’s Partnership for Peace and “call for peace talks” in Ukraine rather than supporting “EU efforts to intensify war”.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been “chipping away at Ireland’s neutrality” for many years, Richard Boyd Barrett said, most obviously through facilitating the transit of US troops through Shannon Airport.

Mr Boyd Barrett said that in a “left government that could offer an alternative to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael”, PBP would “vigorously defend Ireland’s neutrality and restore Ireland’s neutrality”.

Asked if by opposing EU support for Ukraine, he was essentially advocating that Ukraine should trade territory for peace with Russia, Mr Boyd Barrett compared the situation to British sovereignty over Northern Ireland.

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“Most people in this country in nearly every political party have an aspiration for a united Ireland, but we’ve all concluded that won’t be achieved through military means. So the fact that we don’t pursue a united Ireland through military means doesn’t mean we’re not in favour of a united Ireland,” he said.

“So equally, saying that there is no military solution to the scary conflict and the terrible conflict that has been initiated by Russia in Ukraine does not mean we think that there is anything legitimate and justified by what Russia has done.

“And we absolutely support the right of the Ukrainian people and the aspiration of the Ukrainian people to end the occupation of their territory, we absolutely support their struggle for self-determination but we think it is a dangerous illusion to imagine there is a military solution, or that aligning with Nato, who have their own geopolitical agenda which is equally dangerous and problematic when you look at who Nato’s allies are, we don’t believe that aligning with Nato or escalating that conflict is the way to get the self-determination and territorial integrity that the Ukrainian people are fighting for and deserve,” Mr Boyd Barrett said.

Asked if he believed Ireland was still neutral, he said: “No, I think it has been systematically undermined and has been particularly since the US-led war in Iraq, where we were a staging post for millions of US troops in a war that was based on despicable lies.

“The Irish establishment want to ditch neutrality despite the continuing firm commitment of most Irish people to keep neutrality,” Mr Boyd Barrett said.

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael intend to remove the triple lock so that they are free to send large numbers of Irish troops to fight wars with the US or EU.

He added that many leaders of western countries were “preparing for war and global military spending is increasing rapidly. Nato members increased military spending sharply in 2023 to $1.34 trillion [€1.26 trillion]. Nato vastly outspends any other military power but member states plan for further big increases.

“This military spending means vast numbers of badly needed homes, schools and hospitals are forgone,” he said.

Mr Boyd Barrett said People Before Profit would seek to “end the use of Shannon Airport by the US military; to reject any attempts to end the triple lock; and to withdraw from Pesco and Nato aligned ‘Partnership for Peace’”.

Asked about investing in equipment for the Defence Forces, Mr Boyd Barrett said the first thing he would say was “let’s pay our Defence Forces properly”. He was not opposed to spending on new equipment for “genuine peacekeeping work”, but did not support “increased expenditure in offensive military aircraft”.

Pat Leahy

Pat Leahy

Pat Leahy is Political Editor of The Irish Times