WHY is Micheál Martin so keen to go to war?

The Taoiseach’s enthusiasm for Irish military action was evidenced in the Dáil this week, when his government passed the first stage of a bill to allow Ireland to go to war without United Nations approval.

If the bill becomes law, the Irish government can send its troops overseas when and where it wants. Martin’s policy switch is seen by many as a step towards ending Irish military neutrality.

All the opposition parties, including Sinn Féin, argued forcibly against the bill, but it was Independent Ireland TD Michael Fitzmaurice who asked the question which most others avoided.

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He wondered why the policy was being changed. He asked: “Who’s calling the shots?”

The answer lies in Brussels. The European Union (EU), which Ireland joined in 1973, no longer exists. Back then it was an economic agreement based on peaceful co-operation between states.

Today it is becoming a military superpower. This year it will spend £382 billion on military equipment and systems – an increase of 75% since 2021.

In her state of the union speech last month, EU Commission........

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