Madam, - Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea asserts that Ireland's participation in the EU Nordic Battlegroup does not conflict with "our traditional policy of military neutrality" (Opinion & Analysis, January 2nd). In the 1996 White Paper on Foreign Policy, the Government chooses to define neutrality as mere abstention from military alliances.
Sadly, a dichotomy exists between how the Government and the public define the concept. Successive MRBI surveys have shown that the public relate the idea of neutrality predominantly to non-participation in conflicts or wars (ironically, only a tiny percentage define neutrality as abstention from military alliances). As the Minister points out, the battlegroup may be called on to "stabilise a situation", alluding to potential military engagement. For the public, then, fears about the dilution of Irish neutrality may be very real and can hardly be described as "baseless".
- Yours, etc,
CONOR O'LOUGHLIN, Clarnwood, Kilkenny.