Martin denies capitulation in nuclear deal

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Micheál Martin yesterday denied that the Government had “capitulated” to the Bush administration by withdrawing its opposition to a controversial US-India nuclear energy deal.

“It is not fair to use pejorative language such as ‘you have done this or that’, ‘you have thrown in the towel’, or ‘rolled over’,” Mr Martin told Labour TD Michael D Higgins, who had criticised the Government’s role in the deal.

Ireland is a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group [NSG], the 45-nation body that regulates the sale of nuclear technology, and which signed off on the US-India deal last month after intense lobbying by the White House.

Under the deal, India will be able to purchase fuel and technology from the US for domestic energy needs, thereby ending a nuclear trade embargo imposed on the country in 1974 when it first tested nuclear weapons.

In return for the deal, India will allow international inspections of its civilian reactors. But the deal places no restrictions on India’s military nuclear programme. India has consistently refused to sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, the global pact that seeks to limit the spread of nuclear weapons.

Ireland was among a small number of NSG members which had voiced concerns about the deal, but ultimately sanctioned it.

In the Dáil yesterday, Mr Higgins argued that the Government had “abandoned the non-proliferation treaty, or crucially weakened it”. He accused the Government of capitulation.

Mr Martin acknowledged the lobbying effort by the US, saying the Government had had “extensive contacts… at both political and official level with the US, India and numerous other states” on the issue.

But he insisted Ireland had been “to the fore in raising concerns and asking questions” about the deal.

“On September 5, in response to demands within the NSG from Ireland and a few other states, India issued a significant statement reiterating its key positions on disarmament and non-proliferation.

“These include a unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing and strong safeguards against nuclear proliferation in third countries,” the minister said.

“On this basis, and following a number of further changes to the text of the NSG decision, Ireland reluctantly joined the consensus in the NSG on September 6.

“Ireland and several other states made it clear that we expect India to honour all of its commitments, and that any breach of them would require the NSG to review its decision.”