John Gormley
Ceist:13 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on holding a referendum on the question of Ireland's participation in the NATO led Partnership for Peace; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28291/98]
Vol. 500 No. 5
13 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on holding a referendum on the question of Ireland's participation in the NATO led Partnership for Peace; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28291/98]
48 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has discussed Ireland's possible participation in the NATO led Partnership for Peace with any of his EU counterparts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28289/98]
69 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps, if any, the Government has taken to date to promote debate on the issue of whether Ireland should join the Partnership for Peace; his views on whether membership would be in conflict with traditional Irish neutrality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4366/99]
79 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the discussions, if any, commenced with NATO on Ireland's intention to join Partnership for Peace. [4544/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 13, 48, 69 and 79 together.
I have gone to some lengths as Minister for Foreign Affairs to promote debate and understanding of the realities of what is involved in Partnership for Peace in this House and elsewhere.
The question of Ireland's participation in Partnership for Peace was the subject of a Private Member's motion and debate recently in this House. This proved to be very useful in the context of the ongoing debate which the Government has encouraged. During the debate, the Taoiseach told the House that the Government would envisage that, all going well, Ireland will participate in Partnership for Peace in the second half of this year. I also referred to this timeframe on Sunday last in an interview on RTE radio. I have previously undertaken in this House, and I do so again now, that a decision by the Government in favour of Ireland's participation in PfP would make clear the nature and scope of Irish participation in PfP, and would be submitted to this House for its approval. I would recall also that the Government Resolution passed by Dáil Éireann on 28 January 1999, at the end of the Private Members debate, makes clear the Government's commitment favourably to examine further Ireland's participation in PfP, taking into account the ongoing public debate and subject to the approval of the Dáil.