Sir, – Our EU membership, geographic position, relative size, pattern of trade and foreign investment, and our almost total reliance on Nato and the UK for air and sea defence, along with our refusal to pay the necessary cost of defending neutrality, make our claim to be neutral untenable to the point of absurdity. It is unlikely, to say the least, that the Report on Defence Forces will make any recommendations that would change that situation, or that, if it did, the Government would implement them.
While the EU has a declared common foreign and security policy stance, in practice each state ultimately pursues its own objectives. This is particularly true of large member states, such as Germany and France. As an actor either on the global stage, or as a counterweight to Russia in eastern Europe, the EU is significantly less powerful than the sum of its parts suggests it has the potential to be.
The ongoing pressure by Russia on Ukraine and the controversy over Russian live firing exercises in Ireland’s exclusive economic zone have highlighted both the relative lack of geopolitical clout of the EU, as well as Ireland’s inability to monitor, let alone effectively patrol or defend its exclusive economic area. These deficiencies need to be addressed. Europe cannot continue to rely on US support for its security and defence in all eventualities. Since Ireland is unlikely to be willing to invest to defend its “neutrality”, the advancement of the concept of European strategic autonomy, and Ireland’s participation in the project, are necessary to strengthen our collective European defence and security capacity. While the EU has many faults, Irish economic progress has been dependent on membership, and the union has resolutely defended our interests, particularly over Northern Ireland, during the Brexit negotiations. Should it proceed with the concept of strategic autonomy, and we refuse to participate to a degree commensurate with our wealth as a nation, can we reasonably expect such understanding and support in future?– Yours, etc,
MICHAEL O’DWYER,
Clogheen, Cork.