Dorcha Lee: Plan for future of Defence Forces needs wider scope

The new commission on the future of the Defence Forces must not narrow its focus to experiences of the military in countries of Ireland’s size

Stock image: Ireland must look to larger nations when planning the future of Defence Forces

The Programme for Government states that the proposed Defence Forces Commission will contain, inter alia, external military expertise from countries similar in size to Ireland and from states that, like ourselves, are non-aligned militarily.

This statement needs to be analysed on a number of points. First, it is a clear recognition that some of the answers the commission may require will be external to the narrow Irish experience.