Consultative forum skewed from neutrality towards military focus, says Bacik

Olivia Kelleher

The line-up for the Consultative Forum on International Security is "skewed away from neutrality and towards a more military focus," according to Labour leader Ivana Bacik.

Ms Bacik said it was "extraordinary" that the forum will not have representation from the two other neutral countries within the EU – Austria and Malta.

The Labour leader told RTÉ News at One that staunch defenders of military neutrality of Ireland are glad to see a discussion of the matter in a consultative forum. However, she said it would be vital that it was a "fair and impartial" forum.

"(Austria and Malta) have constitutional protections for their neutral status. I think it is really important that the forum would hear from their experts about legal protection for neutrality."

She said she supported President Michael H Higgins in relation to views he expressed on neutrality in a Sunday Business Post interview.

"He was reaffirming the positive strength of Ireland's neutrality and indeed he was also reaffirming our long tradition of advocacy on peace.

"Internationally everyone would agree we have an immensely positive reputation (of our Defence Forces) and all the international missions they have served on overseas.

"He was reaffirming that and what is the legal position in Ireland," she said.

"I think the President was issuing a reminder, a re affirmation of the current position of our neutrality and if anything has placed a focus on the Forum that may be welcomed by all those taking part."

Ms Bacik said that she had the "utmost respect" for Dame Louise Richardson and insisted that the remarks of the President "in no way impugned her background and integrity."

However, she indicated there was a "valid concern" about the optics of having a person chair a consultative forum of this type who has a title such as "DBE (Dame of the British Empire).

"It requires therefore that the participants in the Forum be drawn from all perspectives of neutrality. I think that she is neutral.

"I think that it is very important that we would have in the participant list a very clear list of people who are strong advocates for neutrality. Particularly for example Malta and Austria.

"It is important that we would hear clearly from Irish Defence Forces personnel, but we should also have a balance. That is the concern that the President may have rightly raised. That is the concern we would also raise.

"We need a balance here. We need to ensure that we don't see any diminution or slippery slope away from our strong and positive tradition of military neutrality."