Upper Bann MLA Doug Beattie MC has criticised what he described as a persistent pattern of double standards by the Irish Government, accusing it of condemning the actions of others while failing to acknowledge its own role in our own past and current conflicts abroad.

Doug Beattie MC MLA said:

“There seems to be a pattern in Ireland, complaining about other countries’ actions while quietly ignoring your part in them.  This is a feature we have seen on multiple occasions regarding legacy.  The Irish Government have continuously taken the position that the Troubles were nothing to do with them and that it was up to the UK Government to pursue truth, justice, and accountability for the many thousands who were killed or injured.  Hence, the Irish Government have set up no legacy mechanisms that would give outcomes such as truth, justice, or accountability. Yet, of course, we know that the Irish Government were complicit in the Troubles; their territory was used as a safe haven for the terrorists to allow them to maim and murder UK citizens. Whether the Irish Government, in the early 70s, assisted with providing arms to the IRA, and we know that they actively prevented extradition of terrorists wanted in the UK.

“This pattern continues today as we have seen the Middle East once more in flames.  The Irish Government are critical of Israel and US actions in the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA); they have also been critical of the UK Government in the past for their part in defensive operations in the region.  Yet, they quietly ignore the very fact that Irish airspace and Shannon Airport facilitate the movement of personnel, equipment, and munitions from the US to MENA. Surely, this makes them complicit and makes a mockery of their argument that they are a neutral country.

“Some political parties, such as Sinn Féin, are critical of the government regarding their facilitation of US operations in MENA, but that is just for show. I see nowhere where Sinn Féin has said, either in their multiple manifestoes or on the media, that they will stop this arrangement or indeed stop the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force from using Irish territorial waters and airspace to cover the Iceland and Greenland gap and protect critical underwater cables, including those that support Ireland.

“It is also worth noting that the media seem to have shied away from both arguments, maybe being critical of our nearest neighbour is only newsworthy when it’s one way traffic.”