“Government Must Protect Irish Neutrality.” – Herdman
Aontú Representative Gerard Herdman has called for a referendum on Irish neutrality.
“Too many generations of Irish men and women have bled out on foreign soil in the service of foreign Kings and foreign countries. They were used as nothing more than convenient cannon fodder. Hard lessons have forged a determined neutrality into the Irish psyche. It’s worrying that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have been eroding Irish neutrality by permitting the use of Irish facilities by political allies, while they have been engaged in war FG/FF have also been pushing to make the defence forces available for EU deployment. Their obvious aim is a European army, not under the command of an English king but, instead, a bureaucrat in Brussels.”
Speaking in the Dáil, Aontú leader Peadar Toíbín said "Historically small countries have been rightly sceptical of the intentions of military blocks and it is clear that those such as Ireland would have little or no influence on the decisions made elsewhere. Having young men and Women fight in wars over which they would have little control would be a grave mistake. Active neutrality allows for a courageous non-aggressive engagement with the rest of the world".
“The majority of Irish people support neutrality. Put it to the People in a referendum. The Government does not have the right to end a long standing policy of neutrality by stealth.” Concluded Herdman
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