Jimmy Dignam, Workers Party representative Dublin North West
The Workers’ Party have said that the government must come clean on reports in today’s Irish Examiner that an agreement has been made to allow Britain’s Royal Air Force to overfly Irish airspace and shoot down aircraft suspected of being in the hands of terrorists.
Workers’ Party spokesperson Jimmy Dignam said that such an agreement would be a gross violation of Irish neutrality and could have grave consequences for this country which would be seen as an integral part of NATO.
Dignam said that not only would any agreement of this type infringe Irish neutrality but it would also increase the likelihood of terrorist attacks in this country. “The reason Ireland has enjoyed a level of security from such attacks” he said “was because Ireland has in the past been recognised as being outside the axis of US/ UK military adventurism”.
The Workers’ Party representative said that the US and British governments had caused unprecedented instability throughout the Middle East through invading or fomenting massive internal strife in the region. This instability has fed into and increased terrorism.
RAF Tornado
He said, “the almost unlimited use of Shannon Airport has already increased Ireland’s vulnerability but to open up Ireland’s skies to RAF fighter aircraft would far from give us protection but make us infinitely more attractive target for terrorist attackers.”
Jimmy Dignam said that the RAF would offer absolutely no protection whatsoever from suicide bombers on the ground and the type of attacks that have occurred and France, Belgium and German in recent times. He has called on the government to be called to account in the Dáil and concluded saying; “At least two of the coalition’s Independent junior ministers have spoken out in defence of Irish neutrality in the past. I would like to know where they stand on this issue and if they are satisfied to open Ireland’s skies to the RAF.”