ieExplains: What is Nato, and is Ireland a member?
Finnish military personnel install the Finnish national flag at the Nato headquarters in Brussels, on April 4, 2023. Picture: JOHN THYS/AFP via Getty Images
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) is a military alliance that provides collective security for its members.
It was founded in 1949 with 12 original members to counter Soviet influence after World War Two.
Today, it has 32 member states, including the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Turkey.
All Nato member states agree to a central principal of collective defense if any member is attacked by an external party.
Under Article 5 of its founding treaty, an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. The alliance has only invoked Article 5 once — after the 9/11 attacks in the United States in 2001.
Beyond traditional defence, Nato now focuses on cyber threats, hybrid warfare and the security impact of new technologies.
Poland shot down drones that entered its airspace during a large-scale Russian attack on western Ukraine on Wednesday. Poland is a Nato member, while Russia is not.
Poland requested Nato consultations under Article 4 of its treaty, which states that members will consult whenever they believe their territory, political independence, or security is threatened.
Polish leader Donald Tusk said it is the closest Poland has come to open conflict since World War Two.
Nato’s original members in 1949 were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the UK, and the US.
There are now 32 member countries, 30 members are in Europe, with two from North America.
The countries that joined Nato after its founding are Greece and Turkey (1952); West Germany (1955; from 1990 as Germany); Spain (1982); the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland (1999); Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia (2004); Albania and Croatia (2009); Montenegro (2017); North Macedonia (2020); Finland (2023); and Sweden (2024).
No.
Due to its long-standing policy of military neutrality, Ireland has never sought to join the organisation. Ireland is one of only four EU countries outside Nato, alongside Austria, Cyprus and Malta.
Although not a member, Ireland has taken part in Nato’s Partnership for Peace programme since 1999, focusing on peacekeeping, training and humanitarian work.
The Defence Forces have also worked alongside Nato troops in UN and EU missions abroad, highlighting cooperation without full membership.
Yes. Nato membership is open to “any other European state in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area.”
The question of Nato membership remains politically sensitive.
Opinion polls consistently show strong support for Ireland’s neutrality, though debate has sharpened since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Government has recently held Consultative Forums on International Security Policy to explore Ireland’s defence role and future relationship with Nato.
