Sir, – As the debate over Ireland’s neutrality intensifies, a redacted briefing document for incoming Minister for Defence Simon Harris has revealed growing EU impatience with Ireland’s stance (“Neutrality could leave Ireland more isolated, officials warn”, News, January 29th). The document warns of diminishing “tolerance” for Ireland’s neutrality, particularly as previously neutral states like Finland and Sweden join Nato, and the US pivots its strategic focus toward Asia.
While the EU pushes for greater defence cohesion and autonomy, Ireland finds itself at a crossroads. The question is not just about neutrality but about the kind of world we want to live in. Do we continue to align ourselves with an increasingly polarised “us versus them” mentality, or do we seek a more inclusive, diplomatic approach that engages with all global powers?
The truth is there is no appetite for war – not in Ireland, not in Europe, and not globally. The cost of conflict is too high: economically, environmentally, and morally. The climate crisis alone demands that we prioritise co-operation over confrontation. The spectre of nuclear escalation looms large, making diplomacy not just preferable but essential.
Yet, in recent years, diplomacy has taken a backseat to militarisation and division. The world is no longer unipolar, dominated by a single superpower, but multipolar, with multiple centres of influence. This reality requires a shift in strategy. Instead of isolating ourselves within exclusive alliances, Ireland should leverage its neutrality to foster dialogue and build bridges between nations.
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Ireland has a proud history of peacekeeping and advocating for human rights on the global stage. Now is the time to double down on that legacy. By engaging with China, South America, and other regions, Ireland can help promote a more balanced and inclusive approach to global challenges. This isn’t about choosing sides; it’s about working for the greater good of everyone on the planet, not just the few.
The redacted briefing document highlights the risks of Ireland’s current path, but it also presents an opportunity. As we prepare for our EU presidency in 2026, let’s use this moment to champion diplomacy, multilateralism, and climate-conscious security policies. Let’s remind the world that neutrality isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength when used to promote peace and co-operation.
The stakes are too high to continue down a path of division. Ireland must lead by example, showing that even in a fractured world, dialogue and diplomacy are not only possible but necessary. The future of our planet depends on it. – Yours, etc,
CARMEL DELANEY,
Naas,
Co Kildare.
Sir, – Your news report highlight the concerns regarding defence and security that our European partners have regarding Ireland.
With the lowest defence spend in the European Union and with the Defence Forces unable to fulfil their primary role, defence of the State, our European partners are right to have concerns. With key sub-sea infrastructure routed through Irish waters, including critical energy interconnections, the State needs to be able to effectively patrol and monitor said infrastructure. In order to do so, we need to invest in the Defence Forces along with working with our European partners either bilaterally or through other arrangements. Neutrality offers very little by way of protection in today’s world, as others have found to their cost.
Ireland has benefitted greatly from its membership of the European Union. If it’s worth being a member of the EU, it’s worth defending it. – Yours, etc,
CONOR HOGARTY,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Three-quarters of all undersea cables in the northern hemisphere, carrying 97 per cent of global communications, pass through or near Irish waters, currently patrolled by a single ship whose main gun doesn’t work (News, January 11th).
In response to this situation and Ireland’s increasing isolation within the EU on military neutrality, the Department of Justice is establishing a national security authority to create “a plan for the development of a statutory system of personnel and facilities security clearance”.
A greater deterrent to malign actors might be weapons that work. – Yours, etc,
Dr JOHN DOHERTY,
Gaoth Dobhair,
Co Dhún na nGall.
Aftermath of Storm Éowyn
Sir , – Am I the only reader who has noticed a complete lack of public debate around the failure of our mobile communications systems during and in the days following Storm Éowyn?
I use the term communications systems rather than phone systems for a good reason. Anyone who is or was impacted by a poor mobile phone reception will attest to the fact that mobile internet service were patchy at best and public utilities that told us all to “access our website “ to report faults or get information could only grimace in frustration. In times of civil crisis, one would assume that a phone and internet service would be more resilient but do questions need to be asked around what mobile licence obligations are required to ensure resilience? Anyone who encounters mobile phone masts in very remote areas will most likely see a generator but to what extent are mobile phone operators obliged to provide emergency independent power generation in less remote but rural storm-prone areas? – Yours, etc,
JOHN O’CONNELL,
Letterkenny,
Co Donegal.
Sir, – Given the significantly higher financial and environmental costs per capita of providing and maintaining basic infrastructure – such as roads, internet, and electricity – in remote areas, it is disappointing to hear calls for the Dáil to be recalled due to rural frustration over delayed service restoration. Over the past few decades, one-off housing has proliferated across rural Ireland, leaving towns and villages hollowed out. To address this imbalance, we must strengthen regional plans that prioritise clustered development, breathe new life into our urban centres, and curb scattered housing. This approach will not only reduce infrastructure costs but also preserve our natural landscapes for future generations. – Yours, etc,
CHRIS GARVEY,
Dublin 9.
Sir, – There have been a lot of negative comments regarding Irish Water’s failure to keep supplies in our pipes. I just wonder how many of these commentators have, in the past, been outspoken in demanding that any mention of water charges being imposed be rejected. All these generators and upgrades do come at a price, and we seem to be paying it now. – Yours, etc,
JOHN ROGERS,
Rathowen,
Co Westmeath.
Holocaust Memorial Day
Sir, – At this stage, there can hardly be a single person in Ireland who is not aware of the strong opinions held by President Higgins on Gaza. He has voiced these opinions on multiple occasions over the past months and years. Sunday’s Holocaust memorial, which President Higgins was invited to address, was an opportunity for Ireland’s small Jewish community to come together and remember the six million murdered for no reason other than their Jewishness.
This should have been a non-political event with the focus on those who died and the few remaining survivors. But instead President Higgins chose to insert his political opinions into an event that was not about him.
What would it have cost the President if for this one particular day he had refrained from mentioning Gaza? I suggest it would have cost him nothing; it would not have lessened his opinions on Gaza, nor would it have lessened his commitment to the people of Gaza. Nobody would have thought any less of him for not mentioning Gaza. Instead it speaks to the character of the man – that he put his desire to have his political opinions heard above the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. The President should take time to reflect on his behaviour and should seek forgiveness from the Holocaust survivors. – Yours, etc,
TREVOR TROY,
Baile Átha Buí,
Co na Mí.
Sir, – It was wrong to use the Holocaust Memorial Service as an opportunity to make a political point.
It is also wrong to accuse people who support international humanitarian law of anti-Semitism. – Yours, etc,
AILISH O’BRIEN,
Monkstown,
Cork.
Coffee and health
Sir, –In an article whose headline suggests it evaluates the effects of coffee on cardiac health, the subject matter confusingly oscillates between caffeine, caffeinated drinks and coffee itself (“Is drinking coffee good or bad for my heart?”, Health, January 28th). The inference one might draw is that the health effects are the same. They are not though, and this is probably important.
Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2012, Freedman and colleagues described a massive study covering over five million years of human life, including about 400,000 people over 13 years. They showed that coffee drinkers had lower levels of mortality than those who forgo it. It was also clear that drinking more, up to a plateau effect at four cups per day, gave greater protection. It specifically and significantly reduced the risk of cardiac mortality. This effect was also clear for all-cause mortality, and for both men and women and, importantly, with regular or decaffeinated coffee.
Somewhat interestingly, tea does not provide such effects in similar studies. It is probably attributable to substances in coffee other than caffeine therefore. There are many biologically active substances in the blend.
That research was done in the US. A similar, and appropriately named “Epic” Study in Europe, made largely identical findings by examining over half a million people in 10 countries over more than 16 years. Again decaffeinated coffee is as beneficial as caffeinated, with both providing reductions in mortality of 10 per cent to 15 per cent during the period of study.
It seems extraordinary to me that this is not better known. Many people seem to regard coffee consumption as a vice of some soft form, often avoiding it to “detox”. Meanwhile dubious health benefits are attributed to all kinds of foods, with vegetables, garlic, kale, brown bread and fibre, for example, coming to mind. I am pretty certain that none of these, nor any dietary component other than coffee, can be said to provide a reduction in mortality in direct proportion to one’s dietary intake of them. I would love to be corrected on that, as if there is anything else that offers such an effect I’d like to know about it. But coffee is certainly not just a vehicle for caffeine delivery. It seems to confer benefits in terms of longevity that are matched by very few medications and are unrelated to caffeine per se. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN O’BRIEN,
Kinsale,
Co Cork.
OPW builds €490,000 wall
Sir, – A simple deterrent to freewheeling overspends at the Office of Public Works, other State departments and local authorities (“Cost of rebuilding wall outside Workplace Relations Commission doubled to €490,000”, News, January 29th) is to adopt the Spanish model. Taxpayer-funded works have a cost breakdown secured to the front hoarding of each project. This allows taxpayers to track spending on projects, overruns and responsibilities as they happen. This results in a lot of shoelaces being tightened. – Yours, etc,
BEN McCABE,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – Does the OPW use dynamic pricing for their wonder walls? – Yours, etc,
ULTAN Ó BROIN,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
US and birthright citizenship
Sir, – In “‘Deeply unsettling for everyone’: Fears among undocumented Irish under Trump administration” (News, January 28th), you relate that Donald Trump is attempting to revise the US constitution’s birthright citizenship provision by executive order. The 14th amendment to the US constitution guarantees US citizenship to any person born in the United States. This constitutional provision cannot be changed by executive order, or by routine legislation passed by Congress. The constitution can only be changed by an additional amendment. But to approve such a change is not easy. Both Houses of Congress must vote to approve by a two-thirds majority. Then at least three-quarters of the state legislatures must endorse the proposed amendment for it to be considered approved. Given the current political alignment in the US, any amendment is unlikely to be considered in the foreseeable future. – Yours, etc,
DAN DONOVAN,
Dungarvan,
Co Waterford.
Singing competition
Sir, – Why is the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition final not shown live on RTÉ television?
I know that many of the rest of the music lovers in other parts of the country who are unable to be in the National Concert Hall on a Tuesday night would love to witness this event, by any standard a cultural highlight any country would be proud of.
Perhaps next year? – Yours, etc,
MALACHY COSTELLO,
Carrick on Shannon,
Co Roscommon.
Seasonal sighting
Sir, – Daffodils have made a welcome appearance here in the Burren, heralding the traditional first day of spring, St Brigid’s Day. – Yours,etc,
FRANK RUSSELL,
Ballyvaughan,
Co Clare.
