Protests planned over 'entirely inappropriate' docking of Dutch naval vessels in Cork

In the Dáil on Thursday, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said that the Government has "no plans to join NATO or any other military alliance"

Edward Horgan of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance said that the group will protest in Cobh when HNLMS Karel Doorman, the largest ship in service in the Netherlands navy, docks at the cruise terminal. File picture; Larry Cummins

The docking of foreign naval ships in Irish ports is merely an example of friendly relations with neighbours and does not impact Irish neutrality, the Department of Defence says.

The Peace and Neutrality Alliance (Pana) says that it will protest the arrival of four Dutch naval vessels to Cork this weekend, with campaigners saying that it represents the "death of Irish neutrality by a thousand cuts".