Public Meeting on Irish Neutrality to be held in Portlaoise

Independent Republicans Laois holding Public Meeting to highlight mooted Government plans to change policy of Irish neutrality

Independent Republicans Laois are holding a Public Meeting to highlight Government plans to change the longstanding policy of Irish neutrality regarding involvement in international conflicts.

The meeting is on Tuesday evening 26th May at 8pm in Portlaoise Parish Centre and all are welcome. It will be addressed by local TD Brian Stanley and Independent Senator Tom Clonan, who has served as an Army Captain in the Defence Forces both at home and on international peace keeping missions. Tom has direct experience of armed conflict in the Middle East and former Yugoslavia.

Speaking ahead of the meeting Brian Stanley said,

“Irish neutrality was never more important given the number of conflicts that are currently ongoing. Being a neutral State has given Ireland credibility and standing internationally and allowed us to play a positive and progressive role in international affairs.

Successive opinion polls have shown that the majority of the people want neutrality retained. Solemn National Declarations guaranteeing neutrality were attached to both the Nice and Lisbon Treaties in the noughties due to concerns by the public on neutrality. This was necessary as both Treaties failed to be endorsed by the electorate in each of the first 2 referendums and were only passed on the second occasions due to those guarantees on neutrality being included.

Now Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael want to use their majority to push the “Defence Amendment Bill” through the Dáil and completely undo those commitments.

It’s important that this is not allowed to happen and the meeting in Portlaoise will allow people to hear the case for retention of neutrality and will counter a lot of misleading information being put into the public domain”.