Irish Examiner view: The next Dáil may face unprecedented questions about defence

As one of the EU's richest nations, Ireland will be expected to pay its way in some form for international defence and security 

As then US president Dwight D Eisenhower made clear in the mid-1950s, the US had never intended to become a permanent bodyguard for Europe. Picture: Ed Clark/Time Life/Getty 

With the conflict between Russia and Ukraine reaching new levels following drone attacks on Moscow, and the attempts to bring peace to Gaza at an impasse despite a flicker of hope, the future of Western defence has not been a big ticket item at the Democrat Convention in Chicago.

While that has largely been a coronation for Kamala Harris, a teary valediction for the Biden years, and a reminder of the star quality of Michelle Obama, little time has been spent on one of the major questions facing the next administration.