Government wins Dail vote

Thursday March 20, 2003 18:56

by Sparks

77 to 60

From RTE news:
Government wins Dáil vote on Shannon
(17:38) The Dáil has voted to support the Government's policy of continuing to grant overflight and landing rights in Ireland to US military and civilian aircraft.
The motion was carried by 77 votes to 60.
Earlier, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste strongly defended the continued use of Shannon by the United States military.
Bertie Ahern told the Dáil that to withdraw facilities for American forces at Shannon Airport now would be a radical change in Irish foreign policy and would be seen as a hostile act.
He said it would be counter to Irish interests and weakening the close ties between Ireland the US and the UK.
Tánaiste Mary Harney agreed, describing the US as our closest friends, with ties that run deep.
The Taoiseach said that Ireland recognised that the US and the UK believed they have a mandate from existing UN resolutions, to wage war on Iraq.
However, Mr Ahern said that Ireland had made it clear that it required a further UN resolution.
Earlier the Labour leader Pat Rabbitte accused the Government of 'creative interpretation' of UN resolutions to justify US facilities at Shannon.
Mr Rabbitte said no-one seemed to know the actual reasons for the war: liberation, disarmament, a terrorist threat or commercial interest.
The Green party and Sinn Féin also criticised Irish support for the war.
The Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny told the Dáil that the Government could not uphold the legitimacy and primacy of the UN and allow the use of Shannon Airport.
He said resolution 1441 did not authorise war as every other possibility had not been tried.
Saying the war was of doubtful legitimacy, Mr Kenny added that Ireland was facing a critical moment in our diplomatic history.
He said it is up to this country to say either we believe in the legitimacy of the UN or we do not; Or we agree to be bound by the decisions of that organisation or we do not.
The motion the Government has put before the Dáil runs to 16 clauses. The most controversial aspects of these relate to the final two clauses, which recall the longstanding arrangements for overflight and landing of US aircraft in Ireland, and support the Government's decision to maintain those arrangments.
The Taoiseach has claimed that there is clear legal support for the view that their provision does not amount to active participation in a war.
Fianna Fáil backbencher Sean Haughey said the ‘moral thing to do’ would be to withdraw landing facilities at Shannon, and he regrets that it is not possible to do so.
Deputy Haughey said he must reluctantly accept the Government's view that it was in the national interest to continue providing the facilities.
PD Fiona O'Malley said she was ‘uneasy’ about the continued use of Shannon by allied aircraft in the absence of a second resolution.
However, she said she accepted the advice presented by the Taoiseach to the House that the continued use does not breach our Constitution.
All of the Opposition groups have put down their own amendments to the motion.
Fine Gael are pressing an amendment opposing participation in any manner, or support for the war.
Labour's alternative will deplore the decision to provide facilities at Shannon and call on the Govenrment to end all cooperation with those operating outside the UN Charter.
Sinn Féin is to call for an end to overflight and landing rights for the duration of the war.
Attacking the Government motion as 'spineless and craven', the Green Party called on Fianna Fáil and especially PD backbenchers to break ranks and vote against the Coalition.
However, Government sources appeared confident that all of their TDs will support the motion.

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Comments (6 of 6)

Numbers

Thu Mar 20, 2003 18:56

77+60=137

166 deputies in the Dail

166-137=29

Now since only 18 votes were needed to swing the motion, who didn't vote and why?

Disgrace

by Anonymous

Thu Mar 20, 2003 19:16

FF & the PD's are a disgrace.

How can allowing the U.S. to use Shannon not "amount to active participation in the war"?

If they want to argue the "in our national interest case" - though it is nothing short of a barbaric argument, at least it is an argument.

The first argument is nothing short of a blatant lie and an attempt to deceive the Irish people.

Breakdown?

by Ciaran

Thu Mar 20, 2003 19:55

Can anyone please find out who voted for and who voted against?

like father like son

by Cliona Towne

Thu Mar 20, 2003 20:57

Haughey the younger says that the moral thing to do would be to withdraw the Shannon facilities. But we can't because its not in our national interest. What slime!

the double-bind of politico-speak

by mickie quick

Fri Mar 21, 2003 02:25

Leaders completely contradict themselves all the time. They drop neatly packaged statements right next to other neatly packaged statements, and compliant reporters continually fail to cross-examine the glaring contradictions.

This is a serious problem when these deceiptful 'representatives' are involved/assisting in genocide.

neatly packaged statement#1:
"there is clear legal support for the view that the provision does not amount to active participation in a war"

well, if that is so, it wouldnt really matter if they abstain from any involvement to make sure that it doesnt amount to participation in a war, by erring on the side of caution.

neatly packaged statement#2:
"to withdraw facilities for American forces at Shannon Airport now would be be seen as a hostile act"

Hostile. only if it was a matter of war surely. only if it was a matter of being 'with us or against us' in their pursuit of war.

Did i say war, sorry, go back to neatly packaged statement#1: and repeat 100 times.

Other double bind talk from warmongers:

Iraq will crumble quickly because their army is weak, despite being a major threat to the whole world because they (not so) apparently have weapons of mass destruction

Iraqi refugees are illegal immigrants because it is safe for them to return to Iraq, despite the need to attack Iraq because of its incredibly sadistic dictator

NOW DO YOU REALISE

by Intransigent

Fri Mar 21, 2003 14:22

That the parliamentary system in existence is pointless. There is no democracy here. The government is not held responsible to the people. Well maybe in 5 years time or whatever the time period is. BUT that is too late. Issues don't wait five years. We are complicit in the war now. We are giving bases now. Iraqis are being murdered now! Regime change begins at home!!!!

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Government wins Dail vote

Comments (6 of 6)