On the 23rd of January 2025, The Ditch published a story detailing how the Department of Defence was keeping its interactions with lobbyists for arms manufacturers “confidential”[1]. The lobby group involved is the Irish Defence and Security Association (IDSA) – who count among its members genocidaires Lockheed Martin and Patria. In correspondence with the Information Commissioner, the Department admitted the information or support that the IDSA provides “influences and informs” direction taken by the department[2].
Up until recently, Irish governments treaded carefully around the issue of military spending and international military cooperation. The reasons for this are clear. We are officially a neutral country, with hard-won provisions like the (presently endangered) Triple Lock to protect our sovereignty and neutrality while party to an increasingly militaristic EU. We are a small and remote island nation with a population that repeatedly polls in favour of maintaining our neutrality. The government knows that backsliding on this issue will be generally received as anti-democratic and deceitful.
Yet the messaging coming from the highest levels of the EU and NATO signals both an impatience with Ireland’s relatively low military spend (0.2% of GDP in 2023), and a complete disregard for the wishes of the majority of our population.
The newly appointed High Representative for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, speaking in January at the annual conference of the European Defence Agency stated “We do not need one European army. We need 27 European armies that can work together effectively to deter our rivals and defend Europe. Preferably with our allies and partners, but alone if necessary.” In Kallas’ formulation, Ireland is standing shoulder to shoulder with this greater European army of armies, and potentially alongside NATO as it tools up to subjugate the world.
Also concerning are the noises coming from newly minted NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. In mid-January, translating Trump’s demand that US-allies spend 5% percent of GDP on defence, Rutte told the European Parliament that the final NATO spending target would be around 3.6 or 3.7 percent of GDP. “On average, European countries easily spend up to a quarter of their national income on pensions, health and social security systems, and we need only a small fraction of that money to make defense much stronger,” Rutte told MEPs[3].
Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s recent behaviour clearly signals that he is listening attentively to Washington and Brussels. He takes the war in Ukraine as the prime example of why Ireland should increase military spending and move closer to NATO. Blindly ignoring that it was NATO collaboration and refusing neutral status that precipitated the Russian invasion and destruction of Ukraine in the first place. Another threat-inflation talking point is the defence of precious undersea cables. Without a shred of evidence, we are endlessly warned of Russian deep sea sabotage. In fact, The Washington Post recently revealed that investigations involving the United States and a half-dozen European security services have turned up no indication that commercial ships disrupted seabed systems intentionally or at the direction of Moscow[4]. Meanwhile Western powers still refuse to investigate the Nord Stream attacks on a NATO member state’s critical infrastructure that helped plunge Europe into economic stagnation and a cost of living crisis.
In mid-January, Ireland’s Defence Forces boss was in attendance at the NATO meeting in Brussels. A military spending spree is in full swing: €92 million on four helicopters with advanced offensive military capabilities, €53 million with France’s Dassault for a multipurpose strategic reach aircraft, and €300 million on a new naval multi-role vessel. Not only is the helicopter contract with Gaza genocide profiteer Airbus, they have central components manufactured by Elbit systems. This is despite Martin’s promises that Ireland would cease buying weapons from Israeli weapons companies.
Micheál Martin maintains partnership with NATO does not affect Irish neutrality. A preposterous stance given recent historical record. It was central NATO forces that delivered the genocide of Gaza, it is NATO that provoked, armed and orchestrated the disastrous proxy war in Ukraine, and it is NATO that is doing what it can to set the scene for a future conflagration with China.
Western capitalism is in deep crisis and NATO is the spearhead of its last gasp drive towards endless war to beat the globe into submission, putting waste to the world to maintain the imperialist order and rates of surplus value for Western capital. The Irish government wants to side with a dying beast that would rather burn the world than relinquish its dominant position built on colonialist and imperialist aggression and exploitation.
The task of the people of Ireland is to remind the Irish government why we are proud of our history of anti-colonial resistance, to fight to preserve our voice for peace and strengthen the victories secured around Irish neutrality after we rejected the Nice Treaty in 2001.
References:
[1]‘The Department of Defence admits agreement to keep arms industry lobbyist interactions ‘confidential’’, The Ditch, January 23, 2025.
[2]Case number: OIC-147903-K7B9Z7, Office of the INformation Commissioner, January 22, 2025.
[3]‘Rethink welfare to finance military splurge, NATO boss tells European Parliament’, Politico, January 13, 2025.
[4]‘Accidents, not Russian sabotage, behind undersea cable damage, officials say’, The Washington Post, January 19, 2025.
