Sir, – You report that Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister of State Thomas Byrne have criticised former president Michael D Higgins’s recent interview in which the latter accused the Government of being “less than honest” on military neutrality and of stealthily “sliding” this State into “preparatory” military alliances without putting the choices plainly before the people (“Martin rejects Higgins’s triple lock comments”, October 27th). In response, Martin said that “we have no intention of joining Nato”, but that is not what is in play. In truth, the Irish State is in no position fiscally to fully join Nato, which expects member states to spend at least 2 per cent of GDP on “defence” – a target increasing to 5 per cent by 2035. Moreover, as a member of Nato’s Partnership for Peace, Ireland is already Nato-aligned and within its camp on the cheap rate. The Government’s move to dismantle the…
The Irish Times · Irlandahace 37 minutos