“Government seeks Dáil sign-offs for all future EU military operations”

This is a short, unpublished story which I wrote for an in-class exercise about Irish involvement in EU military operations.  This is written in broadsheet style.

AFTER six months of intense pressure from the Green Party, the Government is working on a new law designed to ensure that Ireland will not be involved in European Union military operations without these actions first being approved in the Dáil by a majority vote.

According to Green Party sources, the new law is will also mean that Ireland will only take part in military operations that have been authorised by the United Nations.

The Green Party is greatly concerned that it is currently possible for Ireland to become involved in European Defence Agency (EDA) operations without needing Dáil approval, and that the country’s traditional military neutrality is therefore under threat.

Although the Green Party’s initial preference was for a complete Irish withdrawal from the EDA, months of negotiations led to Green Party leader John Gormley, and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin, to reach an acceptable compromise at the end of April.

Additionally, the Green Party will be pushing for separate law to ensure that Irish companies are prevented from promoting a weapons industry in Ireland.

The EDA was set up in 2004 to help countries in the European Union to develop their defence capabilities.

It is based in Brussels and decisions are made by a board consisting of defence ministers from the 26 participating countries.