Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael ‘undermining Irish neutrality’, PBP says

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are undermining Irish neutrality, People Before Profit (PBP) has warned.

The socialist political grouping is putting a focus on Irish neutrality in its election campaign as well as the housing crisis and cost-of-living pressures.

PBP leader Richard Boyd Barrett said he believed Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael want to “drag” Ireland into a “terrifying military escalation of geopolitical conflict around the world”.

He said this was in contrast to the commitment to neutrality held by the “overwhelming majority of people”.

Speaking outside Leinster House on Wednesday, Mr Boyd Barrett said: “Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been consistently chipping away at Ireland’s neutrality over recent years in a way that we think runs counter to the views and aspirations of the majority of people in this country who in opinion poll after opinion poll have shown their commitment to Ireland’s neutrality.

“We want to set out clearly that it will be a priority for People Before Profit-Solidary in the next Dáil and we would hope in any left Government that could offer an alternative to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to vigorously defend and restore Ireland’s neutrality.”

Mr Boyd Barrett said the US military’s use of Shannon Airport was the “most egregious” example of government parties undermining neutrality, particularly in the context of Israel’s war in Gaza.

“The United States is deeply implicated in providing military and political support to a regime committing genocide.

“We think it is an egregious breach of Irish neutrality to allow the US military to continue to use Shannon.

“We think that is part of an ongoing dismantling by stealth by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael of Ireland’s neutrality.”

Mr Boyd Barrett said PBP would withdraw from the EU’s PESCO (Permanent Structured Co-operation) security and defence policy and the Nato Partnership for Peace programme.

He claimed these arrangements would align the EU with the Nato military alliance “dominated by the US, Britain and major military powers”.

Mr Boyd Barrett said Nato wants members to “ramp up militarism and military spending” but any increased spending on weapons and aligning with Nato militarism would take away investment in “vital public services like health, housing, education and cost-of-living” measures.

PBP’s election manifesto commits to “defending Irish neutrality fully and making Ireland a voice for peace and against war”.

It would reject any move to end the triple lock, which the government has sought to amend.

The “triple lock” mechanism refers to the need for UN authorisation, Government approval and Dáil approval to deploy contingents of more than 12 Irish troops to any conflict zone or EU Common Security and Defence Policy.