President Higgins accused of 'pushing boundaries' in neutrality row

Coalition reacts after President Higgins describes Ireland as 'playing with fire' during a dangerous period of 'drift' in its foreign policy

President Michael D Higgins has come under fire for criticising the composition of the panels on the Consultative Forum on International Security.

President Michael D Higgins' input on a debate around Ireland’s neutrality was “extraordinary” and “pushed the boundaries,” Government sources have said.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin was forced to release a statement on Sunday defending the Government’s Consultative Forum on International Security after criticism from President Higgins.

The forum, which will begin on Thursday, will allow for dialogue on a number of issues, including Ireland’s military neutrality and the possibility of Nato membership.

President Higgins hit out at the composition of the panels at the forum, saying they include "the admirals, the generals, the air force, the rest of it" as well as "the formerly neutral countries who are now joining Nato".

In an interview with the Business Post, the President said Ireland is “playing with fire” during a dangerous period of “drift” in its foreign policy.

A Coalition source described President Higgins’ remarks as “extraordinary,” while a second government source said it is the view among many that “this is not what a President should be doing”.

Although not mentioning President Higgins’ remarks in a statement, Mr Martin said that if Ireland shied away from re-examining its foreign, security, and defence policies, it would be a mistake to do so given Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“Since Russia’s brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which blatantly violated the UN Charter and international law and fundamentally altered the European security environment, every country in Europe has examined and re-examined its foreign, security, and defence policies,” the Tánaiste said.

Ireland is no different. To shy away from doing so — or to do so behind closed doors — would have been a fundamental mistake and an abrogation of responsibility.”

Mr Martin said it is a fundamental duty of Government to address the challenging global situation as it is today and that political leadership means “taking on the responsibility of putting in place policies and practices to keep this country, and its people, safe and secure”.

He said the Government has "made clear that we do not intend to change Ireland’s policy of military neutrality.”

Mr Martin also defended the composition of the panels at the forum as being drawn from "a wide range of backgrounds and with a variety of expertise and experience, including in peacekeeping, peacebuilding, arms control, and disarmament and conflict resolution internationally, as well as in the fields of cyber security, disinformation, maritime security, and critical infrastructure".

Writing in today’s Irish Examiner , Mr Martin said there are a range of views about how Ireland should address the international security policy challenges that face us as a country.

He said that it is his “firm belief” that as a State, Ireland must take its own security responsibilities seriously.

“Simply put, our starting point in addressing our security must be the word as it is, not the world as we wish it to be or how it might once have been.”

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Mr Martin’s comments come as President Higgins also referred to the chair of the forum — Louise Richardson — as a person "with a very large DBE — Dame of the British Empire", adding that he could have come up with a few speakers himself.

Former justice minister and Fine Gael TD Charlie Flanagan said the President’s remarks about Ms Richardson were “unnecessary, unfair, and disappointing”.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee told Newstalk that the President clearly has expressed his views and there may be some people who agree with him but there are many who would not.

“The President himself knows what the boundaries are here,” she said.

Fine Gael Minister of State Neale Richmond said the President had gone “close” to stepping over the line in terms of his authority to make such comments.