Irish Neutrality: "The President Certainly Speaks For The Majority Of People"

Wednesday, 21 June 2023 12:11

By Caoimhe Harney

Réada Cronin is encouraging people to make submissions ahead of Ireland's Defence Forum

The President was "quite right" to make the comments he did about Irish neutrality, according to Sinn Féin's Réada Cronin.

Speaking on Kildare Today on Wednesday, the Kildare North TD said the President brought this [Ireland's Defence] forum to the public's attention.

The President has been accused of trying to shut down debate on Ireland's neutrality in some of the comments he made in recent days.

Michael D Higgins has expressed concern about a "drift" towards the ending of Ireland's military neutrality.

Deputy Cronin commented: "Neutrality comes from a position of strength not weakness.

"I think it's really important that we stick to our own agenda, that what we do is always in Ireland's interest and not the agenda of others.

"As a citizen the President is entitled to his opinion.

"Better experts that I have said what he did wasn't outside his lane," she insisted.

"He certainly speaks for the majority of people when he says we value out neutrality," she added.

Deputy Cronin encouraged people to make submission to the forum, she said people should make their wishes known, insisting that a submission doesn't need to be an essay, it can be a small paragraph.

Kildare North TD Réada Cronin joined Eoin Beatty on Wednesday's Kildare Today, listen back to the interview here:

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