DEMOCRATIC LEFT has stated strong opposition to Ireland joining the Nato sponsored Partnership for Peace, although the White Paper on foreign policy has committed the Government to exploring the option.
And a former Fine Gael Minister for Foreign Affairs, Prof James Dooge, speaking in the Seanad yesterday, said alignment with the Western European Union (WEU) was wrong because of the union's nuclear capability.
Differences between the Government parties remain on the issue following the statement in the White Paper, published by the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, on Tuesday, that the Government will "explore further" the benefits Ireland might derive from Partnership for Peace (PFP).
Democratic Left sources suggested yesterday that a decision on whether to participate might not be taken until after the next general election.
Fine Gael Ministers are known to favour an early decision to sign up for PFP and Labour sources said yesterday that most of their Ministers would be likely to support the suggestion.
The Democratic Left deputy, Ms Kathleen Lynch, told the Dail yesterday her party opposed any move to join PFP. "It is clear that membership of the PFP would be incompatible with Irish neutrality. In developing the PFP, and touting it around Europe, Nato is attempting to establish its control of security arrangements in post cold war Europe.
The suggestion that Ireland may join PFP is phrased cautiously in the White Paper, which commits the Government only to exploring the idea. But it is believed that most Ministers would favour the move.
The DL view that a decision might not be made until after the next election runs contrary to a statement to The Irish Times three weeks ago by a non DL Government source that a decision to join could be expected "shortly".
A DL spokesman confirmed yesterday that Ms Lynch was stating a party view when she spoke in the Dail yesterday. "Everyone has known for years that Democratic Left is opposed to joining PFP."
He claimed this position did not contradict the stated Government view, as the White Paper only promises to explore the possibility of signing up for PFP.
Meanwhile, the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, has called for a referendum on any proposal to join PFP. Any attempt to join without a referendum would be "a serious breach of faith and fundamentally undemocratic".
He said during yesterday's debate on the White Paper that the case for involvement with the body had not been made. "While the Government may reassure the public that there are no implications for our neutrality, and that may be technically true at this time, it will be seen by other countries as a gratuitous signal that Ireland is moving away from its neutrality and towards gradual incorporation into Nato and WEU in due course."
"He was against involvement with PFP, saying it involved joint exercises with Nato. "Will they take place in Ireland?" he asked. "Will we have British troops back in the Curragh, the French in Bantry Bay, the Germans off Banna Strand, the Spanish in Kinsale and the Americans in Lough Foyle?"
The chairman of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr Alan Dukes, later accused Mr Ahern of "jingoism of the most despicable, most contemptible kind". Mr Ahern had plumbed "the very depths of ignorance and myth peddling", Mr Dukes told the Dail.
The Tanaiste said that some of the discussion of PFP was misinformed. "PFP is a flexible arrangement which allows each participating state to focus on its own interests in the security area. Ours is that of peacekeeping and humanitarian operations and environmental and drugs issues."
Mr Des O'Malley, the Progressive Democrats' foreign affairs spokesman, suggested that the proposals on security did not go far enough. Instead of announcing Government decisions, the White Paper was "a long winded discourse on the issues facing the country". It bent over backwards to avoid decisions other than purely negative ones.
. Prof James Dooge said alignment with the WEU was wrong because of that organisation's nuclear capability. Speaking in the Seanad yesterday, Prof Dooge said "I would never support it because it is nuclear. As far as I'm concerned, the WEU is out."
The White Paper suggests that Ireland may get involved in peacekeeping and humanitarian tasks with the WEU but says that Ireland will not join the organisation.
Prof Dooge was the Minister for Foreign Affairs in Dr Garret FitzGerald's 1981-82 government.