The second day of the Government’s major security forum was interrupted by protests during the opening sessions.
The Consultative Forum on International Security Policy was being held at the University of Galway on Friday, after beginning at University College Cork on Thursday.
Friday’s opening discussion between chair Professor Dame Louise Richardson and Tánaiste Micheál Martin was delayed as 89-year-old activist Margaretta D’Arcy insisted on making a statement demanding for Ireland’s security and foreign policy to be discussed through the alternative forum of a citizens’ assembly instead.
Ms D’Arcy said: “Let’s have it first, not the stitch-up, which is what’s going to happen at the forum.”
The subsequent session on Ireland’s previous participation in the UN Security Council was disrupted by a lengthy contribution from activist Lelia Doolan, also 89, who walked onto stage to address the audience from the lectern against the request of panel chair and Department of Foreign Affairs deputy secretary general Sonja Hyland.
Ms Doolan said: “Being impartial peacekeepers, offering that gift to others as an actively neutral small nation is definitely one of the things we could and should be doing.”
There were further shouts of criticism and protest from other members of the audience throughout the session.
Ms Hyland encouraged those participants to wait for the open question session for the chance to air their views.
Unlike the interruptions during Thursday’s proceedings in Cork, these protesters were not removed from the sessions by gardai.
Speaking to reporters at a break in proceedings, Mr Martin said there has been a “mischaracterisation” of the event
He said the forum is holding “well-balanced” conversations.
Mr Martin, who is also Minister for Defence and Foreign Affairs, said there “would have been less citizen participation” in a citizens’ assembly compared to the Government’s ongoing security forum.
However, Mr Martin said the consultative forum is a much better model.
He said: “The entire public can listen in, if they wish, online – or they can attend.
“We have facilitated protesters. They’ve registered, as you’ve seen in the audience, and they can ask questions.”
He said there were some who “simply want to disrupt” and shut down the forum.
Asked if he was overstating the concern of Russian vetoes over peacekeeping missions on the UN Security Council in order to end the requirement of that body’s authorisation in Ireland’s triple-lock system for overseas deployments, he said “no”.
“That’s a domestic requirement we put in ourselves. So, we’re not overestimating anything.”
He said the issue for Ireland is that it wants to engage in peacekeeping.
“We want to make sure that nothing would really hinder our capacity to get involved in genuine peacekeeping missions.”
Mr Martin also characterised TDs Richard Boyd Barrett, Paul Murphy and Mick Barry as “very arrogant” over their criticism of the forum.
He said they looked at the forum purely through the prism of Nato and did not acknowledge Ireland’s contributions abroad, for example Palestine and the UN Security Council.
“They’re essentially saying you cannot discuss this because you’re not discussing it on our terms. It’s a very arrogant position.”
