Should Ireland Join a European Defence Force? | The Tonight Show

Claire Brock is joined by People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett, Fine Gael TD Frances Fitzgerald and Political Correspondent Aoife Moore to discuss Irish neutrality, the Russian sanctions and the potential of an EU defence force.
Richard Boyd Barrett TD does not support the idea of Ireland joining a European defence force. He also does not support the sanctions against Russia.
He asks where the support for Ukraine was for Yemen when Saudi Arabia were bombing their country.
Frances Fitzgerald TD counters this, stating that her eastern European colleagues believe the Russian sanctions are absolutely necessary.
She critiques Richard for not applauding when Ukrainian President Zelenskyy addressed the nation.
She believes that one has " to deal with it [Putin] economically and militarily, and you have to try and protect Ukraine."
Aoife Moore does not see a want from the Irish people to step away from neutrality and join a European defence force.
Richard wants to enshrine Irish neutrality into the Irish constitution and has put that forward in the Dáil.
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#TonightVMTV #IrishNeutrality #EuropeanDefenceForce #FiannaFáil #FineGael #RichardBoydBarrett #FrancesFitzgerald #NATO #AoifeMoore #Putin #RussianSanctions #Referendum

[@Jim54_]

Neutrality is a fantasy. WW2 is evidence enough of that. Ask Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark and Norway how great Neutrality is. The only reason we in Ireland haven’t abandoned Neutrality and the practice of having a small underfunded military is because the Nazis didn’t have the amphibious capabilities to attack us in WW2, so that 1930s pacifist naivety never died here like it did in other countries, It is a sign of the times when a nation like Sweden is finally abandoning its Neutrality for the first time since the Napoleonic Era. This new Cold War is far more aggressive than the last, and we need friends fast!!

[@kurtpunchesthings2411]

Man a few things 1 the Germans could have invaded us if they wanted to but they were far more focused on our much more dangerous neighbour the UK 2 neutrality a fantasy? We haven't been invaded in hundreds of years and are at 0 risk of being invaded today 3 no offense but I don't like to bomb children and poor people like America and NATO enjoy

[@BonShula]

Ask Sweden. 200 years. We are joining

[@Moc5116]

If any Irish person wishes to join NATO ,don't let me stop you,lots of EU army's are looking for mugs

[@Jim54_]

@@Moc5116 sounds like a Quisling

[@Moc5116]

@@Jim54_why go abroad for the chop and the country is being invaded under our nose ,

[@som2479]

NO

[@rickoshea8370]

We never armed the Palestinians

[@LeMerch]

We armed them with hope

[@stevekildare4053]

There's still time

[@FPSIreland2]

Yeah, but we should

[@farzana6676]

The Palestinians need to recognize Israel's right to exist and shed their revanchist religious fundamentalism.

[@bazileus123]

@@farzana6676 why, can i claime land that my ancestors held 2000 years ago.

[@americannumber2]

Double standard. I love China

[@riceire2445]

I agree with Richard, there has to be a referendum because of article 29 4 9

[@martinburke362]

Ireland must do what it's always done let the British defend them then complain about English brutality couldn't make it up

[@SG3Gunner]

Britain does not 'defend' Ireland, there's an agreement to allow RAF jets to transit our airspace to intercept russian bombers off our coast, aircraft that threaten civilian passenger planes as well as spying on NATO forces in the area. That's it, there's no army co-operation, no naval co-operation, it's purely airspace policing, not a defensive agreement. As for British colonial brutality, try looking up names like 'back and tans', 'cromwell', and 'trevelyan'. There's a LOT to take issue with.

[@kevinmartin5489]

Neutral means militarily neutral. It has always meant that with Ireland. The notion that, that isn't understood is silly. The Irish state has never been able to enforce military neutrality on 100% of its social groups, e.g., Irish citizens involved in ww2 etc. That is a different point however, as many countries have that issue, always have done, always will. Thats politics & human nature for you.

[@SoydeCubaCompay]

You can't isolate Russia economically, You can't isolate Russia military neither, Why? Because Russia is a powerhouse in resources, one of the major exporters of crude oil, seeds, and gas., On top of all this the European Unión depends on its resources! so, sanctions don't work! And a referendum is a great step! Let people decide! That is democracy!!

[@antmagor]

If she’s serious or was serious about isolating Russia economically you do that by divesting from fossil fuels. Because that is the lifeblood of the oligarchs who are enabling Putin to do everything he’s doing.

[@percy7532]

Was t PBP Barrett making regular Moscow trips for training

[@conorkieran8196]

Sure you sign up for the EU army once we join

[@riceire2445]

Really??

[@onedey-2229]

What interest me is that Irish people understand what is hungry, famine, annihilation, occupation and apartheid better.

[@brendanwalsh9829]

They still trade with Israel.

[@CtrlOptDel]

The Irish government likes to play to the crowd by making proudly nationalistic noises, but then barely funds any form of national military & relies on the fact that officially “neutral” or not, they know that if a Russian bomber actually attacked the Republic of Ireland then within minutes the skies over Ireland would be filled with Typhoons, F-35s, & F-15s courtesy of the RAF & USAF (in addition to Irish waters, at least the borders thereof, undoubtedly being regularly patrolled by Royal Navy & US Navy submarines).

[@antmagor]

@3:12 When she said how do you deal with an aggressor like Putin? Here’s the bigger question, how do you wage any kind of war with a nuclear state? Particularly but the leader of that state has demonstrated a willingness to use that option? Because you can’t declare a no-fly zone because there is no way to enforce it without risking nuclear retaliation. Nations allied with Ukraine cannot declare war on Russia proper because it creates the same risk, and escalates it. We know the domino effect this can have from World War I. We know the risks of nuclear winter from the Cold War. This is a powder keg, and the gentle woman has no plan. If you really want to isolate Russia as she said normalize relations with Venezuela start purchasing from them instead of Russia and start making divestments from fossil fuels. Which is the very lifeblood of the oligarchs keeping Putin in power. The Russian economy doesn’t exist without it.

[@positivelynegative420]

He's dead right about the double standards

[@farzana6676]

He's flat out wrong.

[@positivelynegative420]

@@farzana6676 how so?

[@sallykemp1427]

@@positivelynegative420 so agree with you 🇳🇿

[@Cotif11]

That's the only thing he's right about, what he's wrong about is his characterization of the support for nations and then making the statement that we shouldn't support Ukraine if we don't support, for example, Yemen. He's hung up on the social justice and it pains me to say it but compared to Ukraine, Yemen is a lost cause, beleaguered by Islamist radicals with no real economy to speak of, how do we help Yemen once the Saud's are gone? Firstly, what can we do against Saudi Arabia when the West can't hurt them? If this guy thinks sanctions against Russia are ineffective just wait until it happens to the Saud's, they won't be touched. He's not being practical or pragmatic and is getting stuck in the mud of morality with a tidal wave at his back.

[@patenglish9944]

No no no definitely not

[@ahhere5572]

The lady in blue reminds me of the pink women in harry potter typical middle class polished holes

[@Cotif11]

Well at least she made real and pragmatic arguments while remaining level headed and not interrupting, the other guy was acting like an excitable uni student who's never been in a proper debate before. Btw I don't have an opinion either way as an American, though I'm pro-NATO I also believe in Irish self-determination so I don't believe it's right for me to have an opinion beyond the characterization of the arguments.

[@ahhere5572]

@@Cotif11 American why you here? And even care who is in Dail your American and nato go focus on the UK nose out of Ireland

[@paulpiggott888]

Why should others go off and fight.. ireland is in the e u.... so the same .. so keep neutral with u e money...

[@gingerandbroke1402]

Isn't it grand for the blueshirt to push us towards Nato and an EU army, she won't be on any front lines will she.

[@LeMerch]

This isn’t about what political side you are on. The world is changing. The tree hugging neutral obsession will not deter actors who are anti Western, anti Democracy and anti EU. We are on a hit list, whether we like it or not.

[@liamK1916]

@@LeMerch “anti democracy” are you having a laugh. The west is built on pillars of lies. The debt based financial system. How the media and government work together to shape public opinion. How we are moving away from localised national democratic societies to be being ran by unelected bureaucrats like in the IMF, UN, WEF and even the EU. This 👆 is undemocratic. The bad guys are the globalist pigs. They are the ones pushing their agenda further and further. When civilisation states like Russia, Iran, India, Turkey and China reject globalism they must be respected. That’s their decision. Just like Hungary rejects it. Just like the British voted against globalism time and time again. But they never get what they voted for. Is that your sacred democracy there? It’s doing a great job isn’t it 😂

[@conorkieran8196]

​@@LeMerch, and will you be signing up for the EU army once we have joined

[@stevekildare4053]

@@conorkieran8196 What's the big deal? It's just a defence arrangement. If someone attacks one of us we all hop on. No one is going to pick a fight with 27 countries.

[@themsmloveswar3985]

@@LeMerch the EU is ant- Democratic.

[@ofeyofey]

For Ireland not to be in NATO is ridiculous, and we are not neutral we have Western values. We're right in the middle of the Western World geographically between the US and Uk and we side with them. If Putin wanted a country to show he is serious and want to attack a country in Europe but not in NATO we'd be an ideal target. It was fine when we were a young country but now we are more mature we should be in NATO. People who say Ireland is a neutral country are deluded. Ireland and is not a neutral country and even if we were Putin doesn't care about neutrality he's a psychopath. Ireland needs to grow up, start paying its way and stop relying on the UK, EU and US which is who we'd go to if we had a problem.

[@neilodonohoe3841]

Lord save us from Rich Boy Barrett.

[@mrward6510]

Israel is not an apartide state. Where do they get this from.

[@brendanwalsh9829]

Simple really you ***** , civil law for the Jews military for everyone else. Get it?

[@andrewcombe8907]

Could Eire please move on from the Famine, 1916 and the Troubles? It’s 2023 and the greatest threat to world peace is not London it is Moscow. Get into NATO.

[@charleskristiansson1296]

Ireland - you fought so hard to free yourselves from the shackles of Westminster! Keep your neutrality

[@charleskristiansson1296]

@@akka5249 Austria, Malta and Ireland are EU and neutral.

[@MegaSlayerr]

@@akka5249 what are you talking about we can leave the EU in the morning if we wanted. Hyperbolic nonsense.

[@charlesd3a]

We are neutral Militarily and politically for many years and we are recognized as being so. As a independent voice for everyone.

[@yermanoffthetelly]

We're not really. Our foreign policy is broadly tied to the EU and apart from raising an issue here and there with a foreign ambassador we are not going to push anything much further than that. You know it, I know it. Military we are seen as a weak link with an inability to adequately defend ourselves. Have to laugh at these utterly clueless clueless Francis Fitzgerald "looking at" countries like Denmark, Sweden and Finland...the common denominator of those places is they all have well equipped standing armies/navies/air forces, domestic arms industries and military conscription...and even they are either already in NATO or in the process of joining. Try sell that at the doorstep when you have your referendum. The simple truth is we would have to spend about €4-5bn a year on defence if we wanted to maintain a credible notion of neutrality. Otherwise we might as well go down the route of Iceland and let NATO do it for us.

[@agneag]

People are people and they always gonna react to smth that is close to them

[@janwallace5005]

Richard is correct it smacks of double standards, and the lady in red at the end of the table never even got a word in.

[@Cotif11]

Well it's hard to do that when the guy takes the reins right out of the gate, interrupts and talks over the other guest who challenges him, and then continues on that back and forth. That guy was extremely belligerent, it's his fault. Also yea, the double standards are real, but the situations are also very different. Anything is the "same" once you remove enough context.

[@agneag]

Hes so naive!!!

[@davidcousins2833]

Is she going. Front line

[@Cotif11]

No, she's probably too smart to waste on the battlefield. Boomer logic

[@williamcannon7262]

The E.U want Ireland in a European army. This is nothing to do with Russia.

[@rickoshea8370]

We armed Ukraine

[@riceire2445]

No we only sent non lethal like helmets an all

[@davemiles3062]

The irish enjoyed the boer war They joined in both sides to fight each other

[@Cotif11]

What an incredibly ignorant summary. Ireland was a part of the British Empire during both of the Boer wars, Irish men were regularly recruited by the crown to serve in their wars, same with Scotsman, Indians, South Africans etc., the Irish that fought against the British were volunteer militia. See, see the problem with your characterization here? One group was drafted under threat of jail or worse, one group volunteered to fight.

[@michaelflynn5123]

How have the sanctions worked?

[@SG3Gunner]

The rouble has lost 50% of its value and all the missiles tanks, helicopters and such that russia has been losing hand over fist, putin can't replace them as he has lost access to the hi-tech components needed to make them function. Sanctions need time to have an impact, that plus all the educated people leaving or being sent to the front lines will impact the domestic economy as time goes by. Europe is switching to alternate fuel and resource supplies, often at great cost, but they ARE switching. putin does have cash reserves but he's burning through them and it's now a question of which will run out first, his ability to fund his military or western support for Ukraine?

[@johnmurphy9660]

Bar Richard Boyd Barrett and a very few can the rest of the politicians in the Dail go frontline in the Ukraine for a month and we the people will decide then

[@bazileus123]

You should go in Iraq, Yeman, Palestinian for month and then decide if you want to pusj sanction on US.

[@fitzstv8506]

Irish neutrality belongs to a different era and it's historical benefits are questionable, for sure neutrality protected Ireland from the direct ravages and death of WW2 but it certainly did not prevent thousands of Irish men and some Irish women dying in the conflict, the legacy of Irish neutrality in the war dented Ireland's international reputation and inhibited Ireland's post war development for decades. Ireland has no military targets of strategic significance to a possible aggressor but the island of Ireland does have 5 international airports and several deep water shipping ports which would be of strategic use in the event of a large scale global conflict especially considering Ireland's geographic position on the Atlantic west coast of Europe. You can bet your bottom Dollar that Ireland's international logistic facilities are targeted by several nuclear weapons and would be eliminated completely in the event of a World war to prevent any aggressor gaining them. Neutrality in Europe means nothing in the 21st century, Ireland as a developed western nations needs to nail it's flag firmly to the mast of our friends in the EU and elsewhere, Join NATO as soon as possible and an EU Army when the time comes.

[@farzana6676]

Neutrality did nothing for the Scandinavians in WW2.

[@montanajoe1]

yes, i agree

[@mrchoudhury6611]

Richard barret one very few rational personality in Europe...

[@mrchoudhury6611]

@@TheIrishLad06 And you are just like majority of Europian 😂

[@mrchoudhury6611]

@@TheIrishLad06 What I said Mr Barret is rational ( not hypocrite) person very few in Europe.... And you are from majority 😂

[@mrchoudhury6611]

@@TheIrishLad06 exactly what I expected from European hypocrite!! Finally I am from India not from Russia... But I love Russia , because it committed multiple times LESS crime against humanity than USA+EU...

[@gulyasgeza5801]

Poor man is trying to argue with 4 women😂 I cant even handle 1. And btw he is right

[@paulpaisley5291]

Lets not get cheap russian gas. Lets pay 4 x that for gas from america. Thats called economic sense in ireland and the west.

[@bikeman9899]

The Finns, Swedes and the Danes see the danger posed by Russia to Europe as a whole and themselves. Why do ppl in IRL not see the danger posed by Russia? Is is because IRL is that little bit further from Russia than the Scandies? If this war widens, the UK will be a target. We have seen the Russians don't seem to understand we are a separate country. Or care. Anti war is a fine principle. Reality is different.

[@som9097]

Russia has several shed loads of the most destructive armaments on the face of the earth. Don't poke the bear

[@farzana6676]

I was watching your politician Clare Daly on tv and I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

[@paulpaisley5291]

Brainwashed tadger

[@derekkearns3377]

We all don't take main stream media as gospel most prole use it to show how neocons own our media. Iraq libya afgan Syria yemen 100s of coups but Russia is bad 😂