Aid agency Trócaire said it has turned down an invitation from the British government to take part in talks on humanitarian relief aboard the warship HMS
Ocean
today.
Trócaire say that the ship, which is docked in Dublin, is a "totally inappropriate" place to hold the talks.
Director of Trócaire Justin Kilcullen, said the battleship could be pounding targets and creating a humanitarian crisis itself in the near future.
He said: "The HMS Oceanwas the second British battleship to deploy to Iraq at the start of the current war - a war that Trócaire resolutely opposed and which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqis and devastated Iraqi society"
"This seminar could have been a valuable opportunity to debate key issues of concern to both the military and NGOs. . . . But one of the world's most powerful warships is not a suitable location for such dialogue."
The talks were designed to discuss the line between humanitarian relief and military operations.
Mr Kilcullen said that the aid agency was concerned about the increasing encroachment into humanitarian operations by bodies such as the military and privately contracted security agents.
"The HMS Oceanhas also taken part in humanitarian operations in Pakistan and Turkey, which illustrates the crux of the issue - a battleship being at the heart of humanitarian relief efforts," he said.
The British embassy said the vessel had been used during times of peace, crisis and war. HMS Oceanhas played humanitarian and peacekeeping roles, including the provision of aid and support to thousands in Central America after devastating floods in 1998 and for the withdrawal of civilians from war-torn Sierra Leone.
Earlier today, a number of schools, youth groups and a cross-Border group visited the ship.