Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

This report is an attempt to soften public opinion for a massive increase in military spending and, linked to that, further integration and co-operation with NATO. That is the truth. The logic of the report makes no sense in its own terms. If you believe the line from all these people, who half the time are in favour of further integration with NATO, that really this is about protecting neutrality, the logic does not make sense. The reason given in the report for why we need to massively expand the amount of money we spend on the military is that if we do not, we will not have "a credible military capability to protect Ireland, its people and its resources for any sustained period." On that basis, the proposal is to triple the spending on the military, to €3 billion a year. No amount of money that a country like Ireland could spend would provide the basis for a sustained military encounter with any sort of major state.

The British spend 20 times that amount every year. Russia spends 20 times that amount every year. The US spends 200 times that amount every year.

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