After decades of underfunding, the Irish Defence Forces have no idea what is going on in the seas around Ireland. The navy doesn’t have the ships, the personnel or even the electronic equipment to monitor hostile activity in our waters. Photograph: Valerie O'Sullivan
Defence and neutrality will move to the centre of political debate in the coming months, with legislation abolishing the United Nations (UN) veto over the deployment of Irish troops on peacekeeping missions due to come before the Dáil having first been announced by the Taoiseach more than two years ago.
As a TD, President-elect Catherine Connolly expressed strong opposition to the move, so her handling of the legislation will be closely watched.
She may well refer it to the Supreme Court, as she is entitled to do, but that will be the limit of her constitutional power.
Whatever happens, a full debate on the
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