12 April 2001 Edition
O Caolain moves Neutrality Bill in Dail
A Bill to incorporate Irish neutrality into the Constitution was moved in the D‡il last week by Sinn Fein TD Caoimhghín O Caolain. The Twenty-Fifth Amendment to the Constitution Bill, 2001, seeks a referendum to amend the Constitution to include the guarantee that the State ``shall maintain a policy of non-membership of military alliances''.
This is the first time a Bill in the name of the Cavan/Monaghan Sinn Fein TD has been published and placed before the D‡il. The Bill is being jointly sponsored by Caoimhghín O Caolain (Sinn Fein), Trevor Sargent and John Gormley (Green Party), Joe Higgins (Socialist Party), Seamus Healy (Independent) and Tony Gregory (Independent) and by the Peace and Neutrality Alliance.
The Bill was presented at First Stage in the Dail on 5 April. O Caolain said:
``The government claims that the Treaty of Nice and Irish involvement in the new EU Rapid Reaction Force and NATO's Partnership for Peace do not undermine Irish neutrality. If this is the case then the government should have no difficulty supporting this Bill to give a constitutional guarantee that the State will not join any military alliance and will maintain neutrality. I urge the government to facilitate the passage of this Bill through the Oireachtas and to put the Neutrality Amendment before the people in a referendum.''
On the Order of Business in the D‡il on Tuesday, î Caol‡in asked the Taoiseach if the Referendum Commission would be established to provide public information on the Nice referendum. The Taoiseach confirmed that the Commission would be established. (The Referendum Commission arises out of the Supreme Court judgement in the McKenna case, which ruled that the government may not spend public money to advocate one side in a referendum. The Commission is funded to provide public information on the referendum and on the arguments of both sides.)
This is the first time a Bill in the name of the Cavan/Monaghan Sinn Fein TD has been published and placed before the D‡il. The Bill is being jointly sponsored by Caoimhghín O Caolain (Sinn Fein), Trevor Sargent and John Gormley (Green Party), Joe Higgins (Socialist Party), Seamus Healy (Independent) and Tony Gregory (Independent) and by the Peace and Neutrality Alliance.
The Bill was presented at First Stage in the Dail on 5 April. O Caolain said:
``The government claims that the Treaty of Nice and Irish involvement in the new EU Rapid Reaction Force and NATO's Partnership for Peace do not undermine Irish neutrality. If this is the case then the government should have no difficulty supporting this Bill to give a constitutional guarantee that the State will not join any military alliance and will maintain neutrality. I urge the government to facilitate the passage of this Bill through the Oireachtas and to put the Neutrality Amendment before the people in a referendum.''
On the Order of Business in the D‡il on Tuesday, î Caol‡in asked the Taoiseach if the Referendum Commission would be established to provide public information on the Nice referendum. The Taoiseach confirmed that the Commission would be established. (The Referendum Commission arises out of the Supreme Court judgement in the McKenna case, which ruled that the government may not spend public money to advocate one side in a referendum. The Commission is funded to provide public information on the referendum and on the arguments of both sides.)