SF would seek to have neutrality enshrined in Constitution

Sinn Féin:Sinn Féin has said it will seek to have Ireland's neutrality enshrined in the Constitution if elected to government.

The party would also ensure that Irish troops train and serve abroad only under the auspices of the United Nations, and only with prior Dáil approval. An end to the use of Shannon airport by US troops en route to Iraq or for "extraordinary rendition" flights is also proposed.

The party's international affairs spokesman, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, said Sinn Féin in government would withdraw from the EU Rapid Reaction Force and Battlegroups and Nato's Partnership for Peace.

Mr Ó Snodaigh said all the political parties claimed to support neutrality and the UN and to oppose global poverty and injustice. However, only Sinn Féin made these core guiding principles of its international relations policy.

He accused the outgoing Government of accelerating the move away from neutrality by "violating" its stated policies on the issue.

"First, it joined Nato's so-called Partnership for Peace without consulting the people, despite an earlier commitment to a referendum. Then it allowed Shannon to be used to facilitate the illegal invasion of Iraq and the illegal programme of secret abduction and torture of prisoners."

The Government had also failed to negotiate recognition for neutrality during talks on the draft EU constitution and it rushed through the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006 which eliminated the triple-lock safeguard on Irish military deployments, he added. "The cumulative effect of these decisions has been to heighten Irish complicity in human rights violations and compromise neutrality to an unprecedented extent."

Sinn Féin also said it would actively promote demilitarisation of the EU, and would press for nuclear disarmament by member states.