The war in Ukraine could also lead Ireland to follow Finland and Sweden and abandon its traditional policy of neutrality, which has accompanied the Republic of Ireland since independence in 1937. Today, Ireland and Austria are the only two members of the European Union that adhere to a policy of military neutrality.
However, this week ended the Dublin government-initiated round of "public hearings" to reassess Ireland's defence and security neutral policy, attended by experts, military and politicians, and hundreds of civilians. Similar hearings were held in the past before the Irish were called upon to decide in a referendum on fundamental issues such as legalizing abortion or same-sex marriage.
Demonstration for maintaining the neutrality policy in Ireland
The initiator of the debate on changing the Irish neutrality policy, Deputy Prime Minister, Defence Secretary and Foreign Minister Mihal Martin, head of the Fianna Fáil Conservative Party, had to deal with popular opposition to the proposed move when he arrived a week ago to attend a hearing held at Cork University. Hundreds of angry protesters greeted him with chants of "No to NATO" and banners reading "NATO wars - millions dead," "remain neutral, oppose war" and "fight war."
A public opinion poll published this month in The Irish Times found that 61% of Irish people support continuing the policy of neutrality. However, 55% of Irish people support a significant increase in Irish defence spending. Today, Ireland's defense budget stands at just 1.2 billion euros, one of the lowest among EU members. The current Irish government has committed to raising the budget to €1.5 billion by 2028. The Irish Army has 8,500 soldiers, 500 of whom serve in peacekeeping forces outside their borders, mainly in the UNIFIL force in Lebanon.
Irish Army soldiers as part of the UN Peace Force in the Golan,
The debate initiated by the Irish government on parting with the policy of neutrality also led the President of Ireland, Michael Higgins, 82, former head of the local Labour Party, to break the silence he is obligated to in his ceremonial role on political issues and launch a scathing attack on his country's government in an interview ten days ago. In an interview with the Business Post, Higgins stated that the Irish government was "playing with fire", "getting carried away not knowing what it was doing" and should avoid "burying the Irish in other people's agendas". He said Ireland should avoid following in the footsteps of those who are "beating on their chests", want to adopt "an Irish version of the 'hold me tight' policy and want to lead the march to military alliances such as NATO". "Did Higgins cross a red line in his remarks?" asked the Irish Times, to which he replied, "Absolutely."
Deputy Prime Minister Martin made it clear from the outset that the discussion of withdrawing from the policy of neutrality was not a discussion about joining NATO. He said there was a wide range of other options, for which public hearings were intended. However, his message is clear: "Russia's brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally changed the geopolitical and security landscape in Europe. Ireland cannot ignore this change. Refraining from acting or acting only behind closed doors would be a fundamental mistake and failure to take responsibility." What's more, Ireland itself already finds itself at the heart of the storm: in 2021, a Russian cyberattack silenced the Irish public health system.
Irish Deputy Prime Minister Mihal Martin alongside Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, photo: Wikipedia
Russia recently increased its military naval presence off the coast of Ireland, in the North Atlantic. This maritime traffic is causing serious concern in Ireland, the European Union and NATO. The Irish Navy consists of only six ships and two observation aircraft. In February, the Irish government decided to deploy 30 military personnel to train Ukrainian soldiers as part of an EU military assistance programme. The Irish coaches will focus on the issue of mine neutralization, and the training will take place on the soil of other European countries, not on Ukrainian soil.
This move allowed the Irish government to walk between the drops: under Irish law, stationing more than 12 Irish military personnel in combat zones requires a resolution of the UN Security Council, the Irish government and the lower House of Commons. On the other hand, right-wing governments in Ireland have been striving for two decades to increase military cooperation between the republic and the emerging military frameworks of the European Union. As Russia intensifies its provocations off the coast of Ireland, Ireland will be left with no choice but to retreat from its ideology of neutrality.
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