Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is interesting to look at our history of neutrality. De Valera is regarded as the person who conceived the policy during the Second World War because of historical issues in our relationship with the UK. Nonetheless, during the League of Nations in the 1930s, he was deeply disappointed that force was not used against Italy when it invaded Ethiopia, the point being that we can never be neutral against despots and dictators who invade a country unprovoked and unjustifiably.

We are not politically neutral. We are members of the EU and we have consistently pursued a policy in that context on security and defence. We joined the Partnership for Peace with NATO in 1999 to develop interoperability of our military forces so they could operate with countries in NATO on peacekeeping or peace enforcement measures. We have participated in battle groups that have not been deployed. The triple lock applies if we are ever to participate in any mission of that kind.

In the context in the new world of cybersecurity, we are vulnerable. Who came to our assistance when we had a savage cyberattack on our health services? Poland, the UK and countries in the European Union. We have to acknowledge the world is changing from a security perspective and there are vulnerabilities in Europe that we cannot be blind to. That is why we need, at a later time, a more informed debate and reflection on it.

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