That this Ard Fheis mandates Sinn Fein to vigorously oppose entry of Ireland into NATO's Partnership for Peace. That this Ard Fheis demands a national referendum to counter moves by the present government to push Ireland's entry into Partnership for Peace by October, 1999.

Cumann Joe Clarke, Baile Átha Cliath

That this Ard Fheis deplores the attempt by the Dublin government to have Ireland join the NATO-sponsored military grouping, Partnership for Peace. We call on the government to hold a Referendum to safeguard our neutrality, which has been promised by successive governments, but which continues to be denied to the Irish people.

Cumann Noble Six/Coen/MacManus, Sligo

That this Ard Fheis strenously opposes the Fianna Fáil/PD government's decision to take the 26 counties into NATO's so-called Partnership for Peace (PfP) this year in flagrant breach of the promise of the 1997 Fianna Fáil Manifesto which opposes PfP membership. The PfP was set up by the North Atlantic Treaty organisation (NATO), the alliance of states with nuclear weapons including the US and Britain, as a step towards full NATO membership. Now both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael - and some of the Labour Party - wish to embroil this state in the nuclear-armed NATO military alliance through the PfP. Sinn Fein will actively oppose membership of this alliance and any further erosion of Irish neutrality, such as membership of the Western European Union. We will campaign in the European elections and beyond for a policy of positive and active Irish neutrality and independence in foreign policy.

Membership of Partnership for Peace has such implications for Irish neutrality that any move towards membership must first be put to the people by way of Referendum.

Ard Chomhairle

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