Showing posts with label #NATO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #NATO. Show all posts

Neutral. Sovereign. Secure ? - Ireland's Defence Dilemma

Ireland has maintained a policy of military neutrality for decades—but neutrality does not mean opting out of defence.

After decades of comparatively low investment, Ireland's defence capabilities now face serious gaps in areas ranging from military radar and maritime surveillance to airspace monitoring and responses to modern hybrid and drone threats. At the same time, Ireland increasingly relies on external partners for capabilities essential to its national security.

So what does that mean for Irish neutrality—and for Irish sovereignty?

If Ireland wants to remain neutral, is it prepared to invest in the capabilities needed to defend that neutrality? Or does reliance on other countries for essential security capabilities create a contradiction at the heart of Ireland's model of military neutrality?

And while NATO membership is sometimes presented as an alternative, alliance membership also comes with financial, military and political obligations.

In this episode of Perspectives with Neilo, Neil O'Sullivan speaks with Cathal Berry, Director of Public Affairs for Red Flag, former TD and former Irish Army Ranger Captain.

Recorded on the sidelines of the 2026 MacGill Summer School following a debate on Irish neutrality, Cathal discusses the consequences of decades of underinvestment in Irish defence, the vulnerabilities this has created, Ireland's dependence on external partners, and the challenges posed by an increasingly uncertain security environment.

And - can Ireland be genuinely neutral, sovereign and secure without being prepared to pay for the defence capabilities necessary to protect that independence?

Date of Recording: July 24th, 2026.


Ireland's Security Dilemma - podcast thumbnail. The background is the Irish Flag (vertical green, white and orange bars) with the text of the episode title overlayed. On the bottom left is the Perspectives with Neilo logo and opposite on the right hand side is a picture of guest Cathal Berry.
Insert Photo of Cathal Berry courtesy of Johnny Bambury,
MacGill Summer School


DIVE DEEPER:

Additional information on the topics covered in this episode:


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China Wake Up Call

The Consultative Forum on International Security Policy took place in Ireland from June 22nd to 27th across three different locations. The initial session was held at UCC with subsequent sessions taking place at UCG and Dublin Castle. The forum was chaired by Louise Richardson DBE and brought together an extensive range of experts who shared their insights on a wide variety of topics including cyber security, lessons from Ireland's UN security council membership, peacekeeping, neutrality, the triple lock, NATO and much more. While Russia's invasion of Ukraine was top of mind for many, China's increasing assertiveness and ongoing support for Russia was less to the fore.

Professor Andrew Cottey (@andrewcottey) who is the EU Jean Monnet Chair in European Political Integration at the Department of Government and Politics at UCC was among the panel of experts. His research interests include Chinese foreign policy, Sino-European relations and European relations with the Asia-Pacific region.

I sat down with him on the third day of the forum in Dublin to talk about China's increasing assertiveness, the perception of China in Ireland, Confucius Institutes, China's influence and disinformation operations and much more.

Date of Recording: June 26th, 2023.



Chinese president Xi Jinping travels in motorcade during military inspection event somewhere in China


DIVE DEEPER

Additional information and references on the topics covered in this episode;

  • Consultative Forum on International Security Policy - link


The China US Blame Game

 In recent months, we've become accustomed to Russia and its supporters blaming their invasion of Ukraine on NATO expansion and US interference in the region, even though Western nations and Ukraine have repeatedly rejected this narrative.

Similarly, in the case of Taiwan, the Chinese Communist Party and their supporters blame the United States as the sole agent for escalation of tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

In a recent article by Michael Swaine of the Quincy Institute entitled "The Worrisome Erosion of the One China Policy" published in the National Interest, he frames present tensions as arising over the US refusing to conform to its own One China Policy and instead increasing symbolic and substantive support for Taiwan, thereby provoking China into taking greater escalatory actions.

Swaine's article was taken to task by Brian Hioe (@brianhioe) in New Bloom Magazine in a response entitled "Nevermind China's drills, Quincy Institute Article view America as sole agent of rising tensions".

Brian Hioe is one of the founding editors of New Bloom Magazine and a non-resident Fellow at the University of Nottingham's Taiwan Studies Program. He joins me in this episode of Perspectives with Neilo to discuss his response to Swaine's article, the practicalities of the US One China Policy, opinions of the US in Taiwan, why the CCP prefers a military response to diplomatic outreach with the current Taiwan administration and much more.

Date of Recording: April 26th, 2023.




DIVE DEEPER

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