Mixed opinions on International Security Policy forum expressed at city council meeting

MIXED opinions on the upcoming Consultative Forum on International Security Policy were expressed at a meeting of Cork City Council this week.

Plans for the forum were announced last month by Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin.

The consultative forum will take place at three locations next month, including UCC on June 22.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Defence, the forum will focus on a “wide range of issues, including Ireland’s efforts to protect the rules-based international order, through peacekeeping and crisis management, disarmament and non-proliferation, international humanitarian law, and conflict prevention and peacebuilding as well as allowing for a discussion on Ireland’s policy of military neutrality”.

At a city council meeting this week An Rabharta Glas councillor Lorna Bogue expressed deep concerns about the forum, describing it as a “thinly-veiled exercise” to legitimate an “erosion” of Ireland’s military neutrality.

The South East ward councillor tabled a motion calling on the council to write to the Tánaiste to indicate that it would not cooperate with the forum.

She described the forum as a “wholly inappropriate and inadequate means by which to address a possible change in State policy”.

Concerns about the forum were echoed by some councillors in the Chamber, including Sinn Féin party councillor Mick Nugent.

“I think the Citizens' Assembly that the Tánaiste had mentioned would have been a very good way of discussing all this out, and we can discuss it, but I think that would have been the way to do it,” he said.

“Like councillor Bogue, I’m just not totally convinced by the kind of process that’s been flagged.” 

However, Independent councillor Kieran McCarthy said he would not be supporting the motion.

“I think it’s important that we don’t shut down the free speech around this,” he said. “It is a forum, it is just a consultation.” 

Fianna Fáil councillor Terry Shannon also spoke against the motion.

“We in Fianna Fáil are not in any way, shape or form in favour of joining NATO. 

“We are in favour of a conversation about our defence, about our neutrality and where we go from here,” he said.

Speaking recently, the Tánaiste said there will be "no predetermined or preconceived outcomes from discussions at the forum and participants will be free to raise any relevant issue during deliberations".

The motion was defeated with four votes for, 10 against and one abstention.