Tánaiste Simon Harris explained the Irish Government's position on US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace during Leaders' Questions in the Dáil Éireann on Thursday, January 22.
The Dáil discussion came the same day that Trump signed the Board of Peace charter at an event hosted by the US Government during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Le Monde has reported that the US invited around 60 countries, including Ireland, to participate in the Board, but dignitaries from just 19 other countries joined Trump for the event on Thursday. Sweden, Norway, France, Slovenia, and the UK have stated that they will not be signing on.
A Board of Peace was approved by the UN's Security Council in November. On Wednesday, Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the UN's Secretary-General, clarified that the UN Security Council "endorsed the Board of Peace strictly for the work on Gaza."
However, Trump's charter, the text of which was leaked to the press in recent days, assumes wider responsibility - and fails to explicitly mention Gaza.
“Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do,” Trump said on stage at the World Economic Forum on Thursday.
During Leaders' Questions in the Dáil on Thursday, Social Democrats TD Cian O'Callaghan asked the Tánaiste if he would "categorically rule out any involvement in Trump's so-called Board of Peace?"
The Tánaiste noted how the original Board of Peace plan received support from the United Nations in November and that, "of course, Ireland and many other countries around Europe and the world were eager to play a constructive role."
However, the Tánaiste said that Trump's charter that was signed on Thursday in Davos "could not be further removed from that original conversation."
The Tánaiste said it "does not sit well" that Putin is considering joining, nor does the cost of $1 billion.
He added: "Anything that in any way seeks to undermine, replace or usurp the United Nations is not something the Government would support and I do not think it is something Dáil Éireann or the people of Ireland would support either."
The Tánaiste said that "there is a whole range of very serious issues here" with the charter.
The Tánaiste backed Taoiseach Micheál Martin's decision not to attend Thursday's signing as "entirely responsible," adding that the only European leader who went was "President Trump’s ally, if you like, Prime Minister Orbán of Hungary." He added that he expects the issue to be further discussed at Thursday night's European Council dinner of European heads of state and heads of government.
The Tánaiste went on to say that he does not want to see Ireland's position on the matter "misrepresented." He said: "We have not joined the board, we did not turn up at the signing ceremony, but we are obviously going to discuss it with our EU colleagues because Europe needs to stand united in supporting the primacy of the United Nations and making sure we get the focus back here to what was meant to be phase 2 of the peace plan for Gaza."
TD Cian O'Callaghan pressed the Tánaiste to "rule out, unequivocally and categorically, that Ireland will not be involved in any shape or form with this travesty Trump is putting forward."
Harris responded: "Unlike some governments around the world, I do not stand up and single-handedly make decisions and announce them without engagement with colleagues.
"My personal view and the view of Government colleagues is that we cannot see any scenario in which Ireland can participate in the so-called Board of Peace as currently constructed."
Elsewhere on Thursday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin told RTÉ News that Ireland, as well as other EU member states, had been invited to the Board of Peace.
"There are issues that we will examine in respect of it," the Taoiseach said in Davos.
"Our principal focus at the moment is to try and contribute to the peace process in the Middle East, given our own experience in conflict resolution.
"And we believe that the level of humanitarian aid is not going in to the degree that it should, that would be a strong point that we will be making."
@rtenews The Taoiseach has said that the Government is "examining" an invitation by US President Donald Trump to join his so-called 'Board of Peace'. The board was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza, but Mr Trump also wants to use it in a broader conflict resolution context. Only one EU member state - Hungary - has agreed to join the board. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Taoiseach said: "There are issues that we will examine in respect of it." He added that the Government welcomed the second phase of the Gaza peace process. However, he wanted to see a dramatic escalation in humanitarian aid into Gaza. Mr Trump has described his 'Board of Peace' as the "most prestigious board ever assembled at any time, any place". Go to link in bio for more #rtenews #ireland #politics ♬ original sound - RTÉ News
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