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.