DUBLIN, Ireland: Stating that he could not see Ireland becoming a part of U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace in its current state, Tanaiste Simon Harris said there were "very serious red flags" with the body.
The board was initially expected to be a small group overseeing the ceasefire in the Middle East, but now appears to have evolved into something more wide-reaching, with dozens of countries invited to participate.
At a signing event held at Davos on January 22, Trump said the group had the "chance to be one of the most consequential bodies ever created" and said he was "honoured" to be its chairman.
When asked in the Dáil whether Ireland can rule out taking part in the group, Harris said the proposal has "very serious red flags" because it makes no mention of Gaza and involves Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Anything Putin is considering joining with the word ‘peace' in it does not sit well," Harris told the Dáil during Leaders' Questions on January 22.
He said the first idea was to set up a board to watch over a peace plan for Gaza that the United Nations supported in November. At that time, Harris said Ireland and other European countries wanted to help constructively, and that Ireland could share its experience in peace talks and disarmament initiatives.
But he said what is happening now is very different from the original idea. As the deputy leader, he was right not to attend the signing event.
He said both he and the government believe there is no way Ireland can join the peace board in its current form.
He also said that no European leaders attended the signing, except Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orbán, who supports Trump.
Harris was answering questions from opposition lawmaker Cian O'Callaghan.
O'Callaghan said the board should be called the "board of dictators and war criminals" because leaders like Vladimir Putin, Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Belarus leader Aleksandr Lukashenko are involved.
He said it shows how strange the situation is that Netanyahu did not attend the peace board signing because, as someone charged with war crimes, he fears being arrested if he goes to Davos.
He said several European countries, including Sweden, Norway, France, Slovenia, and now the UK, have already said they will not join the board, but Ireland has not yet said no.
He questioned whether there was anything Trump could do that would prompt the Irish government to take a strong, clear stand against him.
