I wish to join with colleagues in paying tribute to the late Jack Lynch, former Taoiseach and Member of this House. As a young man in Cork, I looked up to and admired Jack Lynch, even though he was from a different tradition. He strode like a colossus across the stage in Cork and I wish to express my sympathy to his wife and family. May he rest in peace.
Ireland has a long and proud tradition and history of peacekeeping around the world, from the Congo in the 1960s to Cyprus, Lebanon, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Western Sahara and, most recently, Bosnia, Kosovo and East Timor. Irish troops have never been found wanting in our role as peacekeepers under the UN mandate or under the OSCE.
We joined the EEC in 1972 and we pride ourselves on being good Europeans. However, before that date, from independence, and before and during the Second World War, we adopted a neutral or non-aligned position. More than that again, it could be said that we were isolationist – we looked inward. Everything out there was bad and some of our best writers were censored. We all know that social, medical, educational, agricultural and industrial progress was stifled at that time. It could be said that we lived through our own dark ages. We were a closed society with simple needs. We exported our young people. Dollars from America and pounds from Britain kept the home fires burning and many Members know of the package from America, the clothes and food which kept people going at home.
Times have changed and today we have taken our place among the nations of the world. We are the fastest growing economy in Europe. We have net immigration and a young, educated, articulate and confident workforce. Ireland no longer looks inward but outward. We are dependent on other nations and there is a growing interdependence.
As we move into the next millennium we have much to be proud of as a nation. This progress is not without problems and we know of the skills shortages, the housing problem with which the Government is grappling unsuccessfully, the terrible health issues, epitomised by the nurses strike, the traffic problems and so on. However, these are challenges on which we must work together to try to overcome so that our people can prosper in peace and security.
Much has changed in Europe in the past few decades, particularly due to the collapse of the Warsaw Pact. The Cold War created a certain balance known as the balance of power. However, it was also a stranglehold – two power blocs, both with a capacity for mass destruction. We know what happened to the Soviet power bloc which could not be sustained. It was dependent on fear and tyranny, and history has shown that such evil empires eventually crumble and fall apart. The vacuum left in the East was and still is very dangerous. As new nations emerge the world has been very fortunate that no major conflict has occurred. The EU has invited many of these new democracies to join the Union. Like Ireland, they will have a democratic voice in the new Europe. Before joining the EU, these nations have opted to join the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and Partnership for Peace. Many of these countries were not ready to join NATO but many have applied to join.
With our tradition of peacekeeping, Ireland should no longer be isolationist. By joining PfP we will be in the mainstream of security policy making and decision taking. We will have a respected voice, respected even more because of our past traditions in peacekeeping and humanitarian tasks all over the world. Almost all other European states are involved in PfP, including the neutral states of Austria, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland. Only a small number of countries – Ireland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein and the Vatican are not members of PfP. Perhaps the Vatican will join at some stage.
Conflicts which may emerge in Europe will, more than likely, have their roots in ethnic, religious, social or economic differences, as shown by events in the Balkans and Chechnya. By co-operating in security, the danger of conflict between individual states in PfP is minimised and eliminated. Many central and eastern European nations which were members of the Warsaw Pact are anxious to become full members of NATO. The Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary joined NATO this year and nine others are interested in joining. Russia, Finland and Switzerland are involved in PfP but have no plans to join NATO.
If we are to remain involved in peacekeeping worldwide, it behoves us to ensure that our soldiers and gardaí who work abroad on peacekeeping missions have the best protection and training. They will not get this exposure to modern methods and technology if we remain isolated. Our Defence Forces can only benefit from training with other forces. They will have to work with others in peacekeeping missions and they would be a danger to themselves and others if they do not have training in and use of the best modern equipment and methods. Even our interaction with other defence forces in Lebanon and elsewhere has had a major effect on our soldiers. Deputy O'Sullivan stated that she was impressed by our soldiers in Lebanon and they are impressive. The involvement and interaction with other nations has improved morale in our armed forces. They have learnt from that interaction and improved their capability. The potential for further improvement by involvement with PfP is immense and can only be beneficial to our soldiers and to the people they serve in foreign countries.
We have all seen the changes in uniforms and weaponry, but we must keep up with developments. Involvement with PfP will serve our soldiers well, as it will the people they work for abroad. Europe needs to be able to act within or on its borders if another crisis such as that in Bosnia or Kosovo should develop. What would have happened in Europe if Milosevic was not stopped? He had one of the largest standing armies in the world, which was well equipped and trained. There was a danger that other countries could have been pulled into that conflict. If the US had decided to stay out, the whole of Europe could have been engulfed in a land war for many years. Only for NATO, Milosevic could have overrun the Balkans and drawn others into the turmoil. Europe would have been unable to stop him and a major land war could have resulted, with devastating consequences. Such a Europe at war must never be allowed to happen again.
Fine Gael has always contended that a referendum was not needed on this issue. Joining PfP is not the same as joining NATO. We are not involved, nor have we any intention of joining a military alliance with a mutual defence requirement. Malta was a member of PfP but left the organisation after a change of government. Ireland could do likewise if this House so decided. It may not be that easy to withdraw if a referendum was held and the people agreed to join PfP. It would be wrong to hold a referendum if there is no need to do so.
There is an ongoing campaign of misinformation regarding PfP. PfP is a bilateral arrangement between NATO and non-NATO states, covering co-operation and co-ordination in areas designated by the individual states as priority. The agreement is open and transparent and is written down for all to see. We can choose our own priority areas, such as human rights and peacekeeping operations, and we can always opt out at any time if we so wish. I also said that Switzerland, Russia, Austria and Sweden are all involved in PfP. It has been argued that Ireland would be in association with nuclear powers. Does that mean that we should leave the UN, the OSCE and the EU? People say that PfP is a back door to NATO, but surely we are beyond that. We should look at evolving European structures and should not have to rely on the US for our security and defence. If we stay out of PfP, we will be on our own. It will be like a mother looking at the soldiers walking down the road and saying "They are all out of step except my Johnny". We would be one of the few countries doing so and the other countries are very small.
I acknowledge that the public has expressed concern but concern has been fuelled and fed by the political opportunism of the Taoiseach, who stated in 1996 that Fianna Fáil would regard any attempt to push PfP or participation in Western European Union tasks by a resolution through this House without reference to the people as a serious breach of faith and fundamentally undemocratic. He fanned the embers of doubt in the people. He threw the fuel of misinformation on the fire. He promised that, if elected, he would hold a referendum. He was elected and he has betrayed the promises that he made. He says he changed his mind. The information which was available then has not changed. It is the same PfP, but the doubt which the Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil sowed in the minds of the people is still evident. The fire which the Taoiseach fanned is still burning. Is it any wonder that there is apathy and cynicism towards politics among the people when politicians behave in this way?
Fine Gael policy has been consistent. Nobody can say that we changed our minds. Our policy from day one was that Ireland should join PfP. We laid out our stand before the people and Fianna Fáil put forward a different one. It was elected and then went against its promise. That is dishonest. If that happened outside politics, a person would be sued for dishonesty. We said that a referendum was not needed and if the people had not been given false information and if false promises were not made, then a referendum would not even be an issue and joining PfP would not be an issue for the people because they would have been in possession of the true information. However, doubt has been sown. We have much work to do to convince the people that we are right and I am happy that Fianna Fáil has come around to our way of thinking. If the Government had decided to hold a referendum as promised, we would have canvassed for a "yes" vote to join PfP. I am convinced that if the people were given full and true information, there would be an overwhelming "yes" vote in such a referendum.
The objectives of PfP include facilitating transparency in national defence planning and budgeting processes; ensuring democratic control of defence forces, which is vitally important; the maintenance of the capability and readiness to contribute, subject to constitutional considerations, to operations under the authority of the UN and/or the responsibility of the OSCE; humanitarian operations; search and rescue; peacekeeping; the development of co-operative military relations with NATO for the purposes of joint planning and training exercises in order to strengthen the ability of PfP participants to undertake work in those areas, as I mentioned; and the preservation of democratic societies and the maintenance of the principles of international law. Who could be against that? The members reaffirm their commitment to fulfil in good faith the obligations of the Charter of the UN and the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and specifically to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, to respect existing borders and to settle disputes by peaceful means. Each country negotiates its individual partnership programme, choosing from a NATO menu of potential co-operative activities. As I stated already, Malta opted in and opted out and it is now thinking of renewing its membership.
Previous speakers suggested that Third World countries may lose out if we join PfP, but by staying out of PfP we are in a weak position. By being involved our voice will be heard and we will be more respected. Questions have also been raised about the cost to our country of involvement with PfP. One way or the other, we must upgrade the Army and make sure it has proper equipment. We certainly must provide the Naval Service with the equipment and training it requires. Ireland has a huge area of sea to patrol and there are problems other than military threats, such as the continuous threat of international terrorism, the drugs issue and the transportation of human beings which is a virtual slave trade. This is happening at present and the Naval Service is almost powerless to intervene. It is like having one Garda car to cover the country. Certainly membership of PfP would benefit Ireland and we should join.