Sir, − What your correspondent, Vincent Carroll, has referred to as “the veil of neutrality”, has not, if truth be told, been relied on to protect us from external aggression (Letters, November 9th).
In reality, Ireland has relied on our geographical position in the north Atlantic and the existence of Nato for such defence. We certainly never resourced the Defence Forces to the extent necessary to do so.
The Defence Forces are still not sufficiently resourced even to provide security for the EU summit, where the State is again forced to rely on the active assistance of Nato member states. Your correspondent is therefore absolutely correct in calling for such resourcing as a matter of urgency.
To suggest, as Brendan Butler does (Letters, November 9th), that simply by highlighting the lack of security strategy, Defence Forces leadership are falling victim to a, presumably irrational, “obsession”, ignores both current and likely medium-term geopolitical facts – as well as the historical underinvestment in our Defence Forces. – Yours, etc,
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MICHAEL O’DWYER,
Clogheen,
Cork.
Sir, – Successive governments over decades have paid little or no attention to the role, coherence and needs of our Defence Forces, our foremost national security agency.
The UN blue beret, worn with pride and honour by members of the Defence Forces in many parts of the world over those decades, made everything “grand”, assuring the general public of the worth and integrity of our soldiers and affording the political community a shroud of convenience to obscure its responsibility for developing, implementing and scrutinising a strategy for State security.
More than five years after its originally intended completion date, Ireland’s National Security Strategy still remains “in preparation”, despite repeated Government assurances that publication is imminent.
This is an indicator, among others, that neither the public nor our political community have developed a critical appreciation or questioning mindset needed for facing the security threats and demands that are current and set to continue.
As an old soldier, I don’t envy the current generation of young women and men of our Defence Forces and the challenges that may be ahead of them, not least from our continuing unenlightened, vaguely engaged politicians. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL GANNON,
Kilkenny.
