Biden's visit helps dismantle Ireland's neutrality": Irish parliamentarian

DUBLIN, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The Irish government has been pushing for neutrality to be dismantled since the Ukraine conflict and U.S. President Joe Biden's visit has assisted this aim, said an Irish parliamentarian on Friday.

Paul Murphy, a member of the lower house of the Irish parliament, said this at a program of the Irish national radio and television broadcaster RTE, defending his party's decision to boycott Biden's Thursday speech in the Irish parliament.

As a member of the People Before Profit (PBP) party, which has five seats in the lower house of the parliament, Murphy said he found the whole visit of the U.S. president "utterly nauseating" as not a single critical question has been raised to Biden during his speech in the parliament.

"It's a parliament, not a soapbox for the most powerful person in the world to come make a speech, it's ridiculous," he said, adding that PBP was not allowed to ask any questions or speak when Biden addressed the parliament.

Ireland should not facilitate the "U.S. imperialism" around the world through Shannon Airport, an airport in the west of Ireland where the U.S. military reportedly has a presence, Murphy added.

While speaking of the Ukraine issue in the Irish parliament, Biden said, "Ireland pursues an independent course in foreign policy, but it is not neutral between liberty and tyranny and it never will be."

Following Biden's speech, Murphy said on Twitter that the U.S. political purpose was not talking about "a battle between democracy and autocracy" but about "a new cold war and ensuring Ireland is in the Western camp."

"A camp which supports the majority of dictatorships in the world," tweeted Murphy.

Murphy's view was echoed by many other netizens. One person named James O'Toole tweeted that "If you're too dumb to notice I'll spell it out for you: Biden wants Ireland in NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and our kids will die for corporate Empires."

Biden started an official visit to Ireland on Wednesday and is due to return to the United States on Friday night.