Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Ireland is one of five member states of the European Union that are not members of NATO. This country has a long-standing policy of military neutrality. It does not join miliary alliances or defence pacts or take part in international conflicts. With almost 10% of the Army deployed to the Middle East, Ireland’s substantial contribution to peacekeeping efforts in the region are unmatched by any other country.

The Government is preparing legislation to change the protocol around the future of deployment of the Defence Forces overseas, specifically the triple lock system, which refers to the three steps that have to be taken before more than 12 members of the Defence Forces can be sent abroad on any mission.

Admittedly, Ireland, a traditionally neutral country, faces new threats that were not considered at the time of its neutrality's establishment, prompting debate on modernising its long-held neutrality policy. For example, the international security environment has changed significantly over the past year. There has been blatant disregard for international law and Europe's collective security architecture, bringing war to the European Continent. Over the past few years, Ireland has been targeted by malign activity, including the large cyberattack on our health service during the pandemic. We need to start considering how better to defend ourselves against all sorts of hybrid threats. Consequently, it is clear from the outset that our neutral status does not entail a simple binary position but a complex, evolving and pragmatic foreign policy response to a rapidly changing world.

In scrapping the triple lock, Ireland will be able to respond quickly to crises around the world without having to gain approval from the UN Security Council. Much of this response will likely take place through a newly revamped EU battle group system, which is intended to act as the bloc's rapid-reaction force to deal with humanitarian crises. Ireland has committed 182 troops to the 2,000-strong German-led battle group. While this amendment would allow for more agile responses to crises, it is coming at a time when our own military is in crisis.

The manpower crisis within the Defence Forces has become acute. I raised this issue in February of this year. The military is in the grip of a staff retention crisis due to a mass exodus due to pay, pension and working conditions, and it is only getting worse. Numbers have dropped to a new low of just 7,764 personnel across the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps. Hundreds have resigned in the past year, including over 30 commissioned officers. For example, the Naval Service can only put one or two ships to sea to patrol and secure Irish waters. Ireland currently lacks primary radar, which is a prerequisite to adequately monitoring activity in Irish skies, and this month the Defence Forces struggled to find enough troops to deploy with the United Nations to Lebanon amid increasing violence in the region. Hezbollah militants have been firing rockets into Israel from the Irish area of operations, raising fears that Irish posts could be inadvertently hit in retaliatory attacks. A greater factor is the shortages; however, this is likely related to burnout due to worsening personnel shortages. Soldiers are being forced to go on overseas deployments far more regularly. This month, the vacant roles were filled through "mandatory selection", the term used for ordering troops to go on an overseas deployment. Some soldiers already in Lebanon as part of the current UNIFIL deployment may be asked to stay on.

Neutrality is an invaluable component of our foreign policy. It has given us a unique voice for peace in an increasingly unstable world. To protect and preserve it, however, we must invest in our Defence Forces and support their current transformation to vindicate our sovereign and militarily neutral status. The Government launched last year a refitting plan, including what was billed as the largest-ever budget rise, from €1.1 billion to €1.5 billion by 2028, to replace aged equipment, recruit personnel and better equip the country's armed forces. We are still experiencing staffing issues. We need strategic, consistent investment in our basic defences, as set out in the recent report of the Commission on the Defence Forces. Therefore, we need to have a serious and honest conversation about the international security policy options available and the implications of each of these, as well as examine ways we can learn from other European countries. However, this must be discussed and agreed upon via a citizens' assembly. Overall, we should adopt the highest level of ambition on investment in our Defence Forces to protect and preserve our neutrality.

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