President Michael D Higgins has said Ireland is “playing with fire” in its drift towards Nato.
President Higgins told the Business Post in an article posted on Sunday that Ireland is currently in a dangerous period of “drift” in its foreign policy.
“The most dangerous moment in the articulation of foreign policy and its practice, since the origin of diplomacy, has been when you’re drifting and not knowing what you’re doing.” he said.
President Higgins also criticised the make-up of those invited to speak at the Government’s upcoming security forum, stating the speakers were comprised of “the admirals, the generals, the air force, the rest of it”.
He added that the chair of the forum, Louise Richardson, was a person “with a very large DBE – Dame of the British Empire”.
The President’s comments came as the Government’s consultative forum on international security is set to start next week.
It will examine Ireland’s current international partnerships in the area of peace and security. It will also facilitate discussion on the long-standing policy of military neutrality.
As President, Mr Higgins is the supreme commander of the Irish Defence Forces but by convention presidents typically refrain from direct criticism of the government.
In a statement on Sunday, Tanaiste Micheal Martin said it would be a fundamental mistake for Ireland not to examine its security and defence policies.
“Since Russia’s brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which blatantly violated the UN Charter and international law, and fundamentally altered the European security environment, every country in Europe has examined and re-examined its foreign, security and defence policies,” he said.
“Ireland is no different. To shy away from doing so – or to do so behind closed doors – would have been a fundamental mistake and an abrogation of responsibility.
“Ireland has consistently taken multilateralism seriously and wants to see a strong and effective United Nations. In that context we have a responsibility to hold Russia to account and to address the implications of its actions for the rules-based international system.”
Mr Martin said the panellists were from a “wide range of backgrounds” and clarified that Ireland’s policy of military neutrality would not change.
“I want as many people as possible to hear from the almost 80 different panellists, from a wide range of backgrounds and with a variety of expertise and experience, including in peacekeeping, peacebuilding, arms control and disarmament and conflict resolution internationally, as well as in the fields of cyber security, disinformation, maritime security and critical infrastructure,” he said.
“The forum is not a binary discussion on neutrality and was never intended to be. The Government have made clear that we do not intend to change Ireland’s policy of military neutrality.
“We have also made clear that this policy does not inure us from dealing thoughtfully and responsibly with the global and European security environment that we find ourselves in, and the new and emerging threats that we face.
“Nor does it mean that we should isolate ourselves or assume we have nothing to learn from, or contribute to, the wider debate about European security.”
Speaking to the Dail about the conference last month, Mr Martin denied it was “part of the latest secret plan by the Government to join Nato”.
“It is a fundamental duty of government to address the challenging global situation as it is today,” he said on Sunday.
“Political leadership means taking on the responsibility of putting in place policies and practices to keep this country, and its people, safe and secure.
“In my view, it also means having an open, inclusive, evidence-based and public debate on these issues.
“The consultative forum on international security policy is the first time that any Irish Government has established such a debate.”
He added: “It will discuss a range of issues relating to the global and European security environment, and how Ireland’s foreign, security and defence policy is responding to this new environment.”
The forum starts next week and will be held in Cork on June 22, Galway on June 23 and Dublin on June 25 and 27.
