MEMBERS of the main political parties in this State are listed among the participants in a NATO conference being run by the US State Department in Malahide, Co Dublin.
At the conference yesterday, Ireland's position on neutrality was likened to that of a proverbial "vegetarian cousin" at the family dinner table.
Ambassador Jose Cutileiro, Secretary General of the Western European Union (WEU), said the neutrality of Ireland in Europe was "not a problem" but added: "If you have the family to dinner you can manage with one vegetarian cousin. When more people join and there are four vegetarian cousins, you need to make some dramatic changes in the kitchen."
One of the most senior military figures in NATO, the US general, John J. Sheehan, is to address the conference, today.
Lieut Gen Sheehan, Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic, is among a number of senior military and political figures in NATO attending the two day conference to discuss "security issues and challenges" for NATO.
The event, hosted by the US ambassador, Mrs Jean Kennedy Smith, was condemned by the Green Party yesterday. There was no comment from other parties.
The participants' list included four representatives from Democratic Left: Ms Alexandra Klemm, Ms Sylvie Batt, Mr Paddy Gillan and Mr Jim Hogan; Mr Tony Brown, the Labour Party; Mr Ray Burke TD and Senator G.V. Wright, of Fianna Fail; Cllr Anne Devitt, of Fine Gael; and Mr Adrian Weckler and Mr Jason O'Malley, of the Progressive Democrats.
Mr Declan Kelleher, security policy section chief in the political division of the Department of Foreign Affairs, is also listed as a participant.
The conference was addressed last evening by Prof Patrick Keatinge, of the European Institute in Dublin. He said there was an onus on Irish politicians who favoured Irish involvement in a military alliance "to convince their publics - publics which often distrust policy making elites and are open to single issues panaceas.
He added: "The hesitation in Ireland's security debate, of which the stand off on Partnership for Peace is the most recent symptom, is not encouraging. For one thing, it is clear that Ireland does not `know' the new NATO."
In a statement last night, the Green Party spokesman, Cllr John Gormley, said the conference was "fully sanctioned" by the Government and was part of a process to bring the Republic into NATO.
Mr Gormley said: "The fact that a meeting of NATO is being held in Dublin is clearly part of a softening up process which will lead eventually to the total abandonment of Irish neutrality."
He said the visit of the US aircraft carrier, the JFK, in July "and the hype that surrounded it" was the first step in "weaning the Irish people away from neutrality".
"This process began with the signing of the Maastricht Treaty which had clear implications for our foreign and security policy and will continue until we are full members of a military alliance.
"The statement by the Department of Foreign Affairs that the meeting has no implications for Irish neutrality rings hollow. This so called private meeting was frilly sanctioned by Dick Spring and the Taoiseach.
"Neutrality is now a charade played out by our Minister for Foreign Affairs."
A Government spokesman said last night the Government had been aware the conference was being held but that it was "entirely a US embassy initiative. It was nothing to do with us". The Government was not involved and the Republic was not going to join NATO, he added.
The conference opened yesterday with a discussion on the "New Atlantic Community: NATO and the Broader European Security Architecture". This was addressed by the German ambassador to NATO, Mr Herman von Richthofen; the Secretary General of the Organisation for Security and Co operation in Europe (OSCE), Mr Gian Carlo Aragona; and the Secretary General of the Western European Union (WEU), Mr Jose Cutileiro.
A second discussion on civil and military aspects of the NATO peace keeping exercise in Bosnia was addressed by the US Assistant Secretary of State, Mr Robert Gelbard; the head of the OSCE mission in Bosnia, Mr Robert Frowick; and a senior military intelligence officer from the Interim Force in former Yugoslavia.