Document Type

Article

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Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence

Disciplines

6.5 OTHER HUMANITIES

Publication Details

Clonan, T., 2005: The Future of Ireland's Neutrality and Security, Dublin: The Irish Times.

Abstract

The future for Ireland’s conventional defence forces and defence and security policy appears set to follow a peculiarly asymmetrical trajectory. On the one hand, Ireland’s skies, land mass and territorial waters lack even the most basic defensive military oversight or protection. On the other hand, in a process that has denied Irish citizens a healthy debate on military neutrality, Ireland’s Defence Forces are being integrated by stealth into the EU’s newly-created military structures. Ireland's defence forces are being integrated into an EU with grand military ambitions. According to the EU St. Malo Declaration of 1998, this grand design involves Europe acquiring the capability to launch 'autonomous' military operations with 'credible military forces' for actions within and without Europe's borders. Ireland's second Nice referendum in October of 2002 formalised Europe’s newly formed EU Military Committee and EU Military Staffs - reporting to the European Council in Brussels.

DOI

10.21427/D7SF5Q

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