Irish Government agreed on ‘red flags’ with Donald Trump’s Board of Peace

The Irish Government is agreed on whether to join Donald Trump’s so-called Board of Peace, the deputy premier Simon Harris has said.

The Tanaiste said they had concerns about its “very peculiar” governance structure and the involvement of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Foreign affairs minister Helen McEntee said the Irish Government had asked for clarification on whether the group’s remit would focus on Gaza and on the one billion dollar “price tag”.

The board approved by the UN in November had expected to be a small group of figures overseeing the ceasefire in Gaza, but appears to have evolved into a wider organisation.

At a signing event held at Davos on Thursday, the US president said the group had the chance to be “one of the most consequential bodies ever created”, and that he was “honoured” to be its chairman.

Among the invitees to the board are Mr Putin, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko.

Irish premier Micheal Martin said while they have concerns, Ireland is “anxious to contribute to conflict resolution” in Gaza, while deputy premier Simon Harris told the Irish Parliament he cannot see “any scenario” in which Ireland joins the board in its current guise.

Asked about whether the two comments indicate a divergence of stances, Mr Harris said “the two things are consistent” and he and Mr Martin were agreed on the “very significant red flags”.

“I can’t see any scenario in which Ireland can take (a) place on the Board of Peace,” the Tanaiste said at Government Buildings in Dublin.

“A board that President Putin has been invited to? I mean, there’s a complete oxymoron, ‘Putin’ and ‘peace’.

“Secondly, you’re paying a billion dollars? We won’t be doing that. And thirdly, the idea that you’d end up setting up some form of a structure that I think essentially would compete with the United Nations or something is very hard to understand.

“I was reading its charter and its governance structure yesterday, the president of the United States would get to pick his successor, could decide who has to leave the board, who could come on the board.

“So could you have a situation where somebody would raise a viewpoint and speak up for the values of their country, and you’d be kicked off the board?”

He said Ireland would consider joining a board that would oversee peace in Gaza and “consider financially contributing in any manner or means”.

“I just think what we’ve seen in the last number of days, though, quite frankly and respectfully, has nothing to do with the UN decision (on) 17 November in relation to a comprehensive peace plan for Gaza.”

Ms McEntee said earlier on Friday that her party leader Mr Harris and Mr Martin were “at one on this issue”.

“We are very clear that the Board of Peace, as it was voted for in the UN Security Council, was to focus solely on Gaza, on the next stages of the peace plan, on rebuilding Gaza, but what has become very clear and apparent is that it has a much wider remit.

“We have been asking for clarifications on whether or not the remit could focus solely on Gaza, so if that doesn’t change, I think the Tanaiste is right. We don’t see a way in which we can join this.”

She said clarification is being sought on a number of issues, including the one billion dollar price tag for joining.

“We cannot join a structure that essentially will try to mimic or undermine the UN Security Council,” she said.

“We do have to get clarification on a number of things, and one of them being the price tag, I suppose, or the request of financial support that is due to come in after three years of membership.

“So again, it’s not clear if the board’s main focus is on Gaza, on the reconstruction of Gaza.

“We would hope that so much progress can be made within those three years, so what happens after that.

“So the reason that we’re not saying no to this immediately is, I think we need to get more answers. We need to get more clarification.”