SINN FÉIN Government's definitionof neutrality 'very narrow'

THE GOVERNMENT'S definition of neutrality is "very narrow", Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said yesterday in response to a call by Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin for Sinn Féin to clarify its attitude to the EU.

"In order to defeat the treaty Sinn Féin is calling the EU, in essence, a force for war. Yet in Brussels they are calling it a force for peace," Mr Martin said on Thursday.

"The international version of neutrality is not just about the use of military force," Mr Adams said at a press conference, citing Amnesty International's recent criticism of the Government over rendition flights at Shannon.

A lot of sweeping statements were being made on neutrality but the Government had not dealt with specifics, Sinn Féin MEP Mary Lou McDonald added yesterday.

She called on the Government to explain how Ireland's neutral position was not affected by the expression of common defence and a commitment to increase military spending in the treaty.

She also urged the Government to explain why there was not a positive expression of the rights of neutral countries in the treaty.

"There is always a plan B," Mr Adams said, recalling his experience of peace process talks. "Had it been left to the Irish government we would have all been extolling the virtues of the Anglo-Irish Agreement because it was sold by the Irish government as the greatest thing since sliced bread."

Ms McDonald said workers in particular were being urged by the party to vote No because the treaty "offers nothing new to address the ongoing trend of exploitation of migrant workers".

Mr Adams warned that in more dire economic times such issues could become a source of tension.

Claims from the Labour Party that the Charter of Fundamental Rights would strengthen workers' rights was "wholly misleading" and "does not tally with reality", Ms McDonald said.

Voters who have doubts or are not informed were urged to vote No by Mr Adams. "How many people have signed up for big documents to find 10 years later they have lost their farm or their household?"

He urged voters to take a long-term view of the treaty's implications.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times