The Government has been encouraged to cease the triple-lock protocol for peacekeeping activities within the current administration’s terms, stating that the situation cannot be pushed aside indefinitely. It has been also suggested that the upcoming government make a specific appointment for a Defence Minister.
Former foreign affairs minister Charlie Flanagan made a plea to Simon Harris and the Fine Gael party, emphasising the urgency of prioritising defence and security in the coming months. He observed Sweden and Finland’s decision to renounce their long-term neutrality by aligning with NATO, following the encroachment on Ukraine.
Although Flanagan clarified that he is not championing Ireland’s NATO membership, he insisted on the need to reconsider neutrality. He reminded that the Republic of Ireland may not be in a position to negotiate with NATO at present and noted, somewhat regretfully, that Northern Ireland’s membership in the group is often forgotten.
In David Garrihy’s assertive address, he argued that Ireland can no longer deny that it is somehow special and exempt from the reality of European defence and security. He said, “Things are changing. Russia is posing a greater threat, there’s unpredicability in America, and Europe is not ready.” He concluded that the current situation, following Russia’s unlawful intrusion into Ukraine, should be a wake-up call for European Nations.
During a lively discussion about military neutrality amid shifting international politics, there was a fervent debate about a motion to put the Occupied Territories Bill into action, which was convincingly overruled.
Garrihy added a sharp warning that Ireland is in the direct line of President Putin’s focus, citing movements of Russian naval vessels performing aggressive maneuvers within Irish maritime borders. He warned that, “Military neutrality will not protect us from President Putin’s intentions to tamper with internet cables or impede shipping lanes in Irish seas over the next decade”.
Mr Flanagan initiated a conference attended by about 500 delegates, cautioning that Ireland’s geographical location does not shield it from potential threats. He pointed out the vulnerability of the undersea cables on the Atlantic coast, noting their critical role in Ireland’s economy. He also highlighted the mistake of adopting an appeasement strategy with Putin in relation to the conflict in Ukraine.
Flanagan expressed shame over Ireland’s lack of a substantial Navy, stressing the country’s significance from a data centre standpoint and its proximity to undersea cables demanded a capable Irish Naval Service.
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Minister of State, supported establishments of a naval base in Dún Laoghaire, emphasizing the need for the naval service to have a presence throughout the state. Retired Naval Service member from Cobh, Kieran Horan, suggested that along with Dún Laoghaire, naval ships should be stationed in Dublin, Galway, and Waterford, to secure the country’s coast.
Simon Coveney, the Minister for Enterprise and ex-foreign affairs minister, alerted that defence and European security has become a tangible concern for Ireland. He argued that the world may be shifting from the protective democracy that benefits smaller nations, to a scenario where might decides right, thereby compelling smaller nations like Ireland to choose allegiances.
According to Minister of State Colm Brophy, post-second World War structures that have long provided stability are now in danger. Brophy along with Minister of State Peter Burke asserted that Ireland’s unique stand as an EU member and its neutrality often make it a bridge between EU counterparts and certain nations, who lend more credence to Ireland’s views. They stressed this as a reason to invest more in the country’s strategy.
“We’ve been inhabiting the same frameworks since the aftermath of World War II, which are now seemingly disintegrating before our eyes. It is integral for Ireland to assert itself globally and ensure that our ethos and principles are taken into account in shaping what lies ahead,” expressed Councillor Jack White of Carrigaline, County Cork. He advocated for the implementation of the Occupied Territories Bill and refuted that Ireland would isolate itself by this action, emphasizing that trading is a prerogative of the EU.
Nevertheless, White underscored that EU trading legislation permits individual countries to set their own course if they establish that it’s an act of safeguarding public morality and human rights, demonstrating that Ireland stands on solid ground in implementing this bill.
In response to this, delegate Cian Kelly presented a letter penned by Maurice Cohen, president of Ireland’s Jewish Representative Council, expressing that the bill has reportedly upset the Irish Jewish community as it’s regarded as an act of hostility towards Israel, and thereby, Jewish people.
Ex-State Minister John Paul Phelan argued that the bill exclusively pertains to Israel and was pointedly designed to exclude situations such as Russia’s involvement in Crimea. He further opined that extreme political left and right seem to find commonality in their viewpoints regarding Israel, comparing them to “two cheeks of the same backside.” He was taken aback witnessing such a motion proposed at a Fine Gael conference.
Lastly, Mr Coveney suggested that Fine Gael needs to indulge in debates on these kinds of bills, which articulate public frustration over the Palestinian situation. However, he argued that the underpinning legal foundations of the bill are debatable.