The just published Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009 should be "setting off alarm bells," the anti-Lisbon Peace and Neutrality Alliance (Pana) has said.
Speaking at a press conference for Women Say No to Lisbon today, Pana's Carol Fox said the Bill was meant to reassure voters about the implications of the European Defence Agency (EDA) but did the opposite. She said the agency was a body that developed and promoted armaments.
"Dáil and Government approval will now be required before Ireland can be involved in certain armaments programmes, but the guidelines for that approval are nonsensical."
Quoting the Bill, she said the Government was saying it would support weapons systems and capabilities that would enhance 'UN mandated missions engaged in peace keeping, conflict prevention and the strengthening of international security'.
"Short of nuclear weapons, this could apply to nearly any weapons system in the world," said Ms Fox.
"It's hard to imagine Government Ministers sitting around a Cabinet table determining whether weapons systems are 'good' or 'bad' and ensuring that only UN mandated soldiers will be firing those weapons.
"The Greens should have refused this Fianna Fáil compromise and stood by their long-time opposition to Irish involvement in the EDA," she said.
"The Bill also provides for the Government and the Dáil to determine whether Ireland should participate in Permanent Structured Cooperation (PSC), an inner core military force established by the Lisbon Treaty as a spur to EU military development.
"To join such an armed elite, not only must Ireland be boosting its military capabilities and spending taxpayers' money on weapons, but we will have made 'binding commitments' with other member states in the military field," Ms Fox said.
It made a "complete nonsense" of the constitutional amendment inserted with the Nice Treaty which prevented Irish involvement in an EU common defence without a referendum of the Irish people.
"Under the guise of enhancing scrutiny of Lisbon's military provisions, the Defence Bill is clearing the way for Ireland's full military participation in the EU."
