Murphy accuses Taoiseach of pushing for military alliances 

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said the rhetoric around Ireland's neutrality was part of a larger push for membership of military alliances

Taoiseach Micheal Martin with European Parliament president Roberta Metsola in Brussels. Mr Martin said that Ireland was 'blissfully unaware' of the conversations on security happening in the EU. Picture: Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu/Getty

The Taoiseach has been accused of wanting increased defence spending in order to push Ireland towards military alliances in the future.

Speaking to The Irish Examiner last week, Micheál Martin said he will establish a new Oireachtas committee on security and defence as there is a “need to create debate” on Ireland’s role within Europe and our ability to protect ourselves from cyber, energy, and maritime security threats. 

Mr Martin said that Ireland was "blissfully unaware" of the conversations on security happening in the EU.

However, his stance has been criticised by People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy, who said that the Programme for Government already commits to around €3bn a year on defence spending, which was a sign of a "worrying drive for further militarism and the erosion of what's left of neutrality". 

Mr Murphy said the rhetoric around Ireland's neutrality was part of a larger push for membership of military alliances.

"The increases don't make sense in their own terms. A country the size of Ireland simply cannot compete alone with superpowers. It only makes sense whereby you would join an alliance like NATO in the future. That's where people like the Taoiseach want to be."

Roger Cole of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA) said that while more money should be spent better resourcing the Defence Forces, there is "no evidence that anyone wants to invade Ireland".

"We have a good small army that can help and support UN missions: 6,000 is a good size of an army to do what it is tasked with.

But if we're to increase spending massively, we have to provide evidence that anyone wants to invade Ireland. Irish people massively support Irish neutrality. Every single opinion poll shows that. And if we have that, we don't need a huge army.

Meanwhile, the Housing Minister has sought to allay concerns after renters had the "fear of god" put into them following the Taoiseach's suggestion that Rent Pressure Zone (RPZs) regulations could be abolished by the end of the year.

TDs have been inundated by emails from constituents worried about rent hikes since Micheál Martin revealed to the Irish Examiner that the Government is considering abolishing RPZs as part of a full review of the rental market.

"Nothing is coming to an end, we're not flagging that anything is coming to an end," said Housing Minister James Browne, adding that the Government is only at an early stage of a review of the sector.

The review will take into account recommendations from the Housing Commission, including policies to give wider protection to renters and more certainty to the market.

With RPZs due to expire on December 31 this year, Mr Browne said it was too early to give a timeline on whether the broader review would be completed by then.

Responding to concerns raised by Threshold that renters' interests will be secondary to those of vulture funds, Mr Browne said he will engage with all stakeholders.

Whatever we will be doing in the Department of Housing, there will be a need to meet the needs of the various income levels of people right across our society.

However, Labour's spokesperson on housing Conor Sheehan cautioned against a situation whereby policy changes are made at the behest of international investors.

"Given the scale of the crisis that we are in at the moment, the Government cannot get rid of the RPZ unless they bring forward practical alternatives that will stop people's rent going through the roof," said Mr Sheehan.

Labour will bring forward a housing motion this week calling for a land management unit to be put in place in every local authority and the introduction of a land price register.