Neutrality as we know it is a spent force - Defence strategy and Nato

The Department of Defence is continuing its stubborn refusal to confirm or deny an agreement between the Irish and British governments for RAF fighter jets to defend Ireland’s airspace from terror attacks.

As revealed exclusively yesterday in the Irish Examiner, a bilateral agreement with the British means that RAF combat aircraft will shoot down any airliner hijacked by terrorists in Irish air space.

It is, of course, in Britain’s interest to engage with its western neighbour in this manner, as the biggest terrorist threat is posed by Islamic State (IS) which has targeted London for a bombing campaign and we are, literally, in the firing line.