The Irish Republican Socialist Party, despite what has been described as its bloody baptism, is not an organisation intent on fragmenting further the anti-imperialist or socialist forces in Ireland. We seek no quarrel, no antagonism, with any group or individual fighting for the end of imperialism and capitalism in our country. On the contrary, it is our objective to work towards uniting those forces in an effective campaign against imperialism and for the creation of an Irish Socialist Republic

Why then a new organisation? In creating the IRSP we are not creating division or difference of opinion, we are merely recognising that this division already exists. The difference of opinion is not in itself unhealthy, it is natural that people who are actively engaged in political work, in putting their political theories to the test of practice, on the factory floor, in the streets and in the community organisations, in getting continual feedback for the progress of their politics in action will continually debate among themselves, the political effectiveness and correctness of their ideas.

The IRSP is an organisation of people who have the same outlook, the same aims and objectives and accept the discipline of working together under the national leadership. Given the speed of change in Ireland over the past 10 years, it is even more natural that the political argument here is more intense and crucial than it appears to be elsewhere. Political discussion and debate and political criticism of ourselves and others are essential to ensure that the tactics and strategy in the fight against imperialism are correct and fulfil the objective of creating a Socialist Republic. It was because this idea of freedom of discussion was hard to find in the organisations we left that many found the IRSP the best way forward. As an organisation we must always be ready and willing to discuss and defend our point of view and be prepared if discussion of the issues shows us to be in error, to change that point of view. This is the hallmark of a truly revolutionary organisation.