Sir, – In your editorial on the report of the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy, and the likelihood of public support for the options outlined therein, you baldly state that there is “no support” for Nato membership (“The Irish Times view on the latest report on Ireland’s neutrality: reflecting a unique approach”, October 19th). Opinion polls published in your newspaper and elsewhere suggest the contrary.
The Ipsos MRBI /Irish Times poll last June found that 15 per cent of voters support joining Nato, while 18 per cent favour joining an EU common defence (News, June 17th). There is little practical difference between these two things, since 23 of the other 26 members of the EU are already members of Nato.
Two polls published by other polling companies in June 2023 showed that up to a third of voters support joining Nato. When you consider that not a single political party in the Oireachtas supports joining Nato, the level of public support for the proposition is extraordinary.
It is just one of many important issues where a significant section of the electorate is being totally ignored by the political system.
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Whatever one might think of Nato, there is a lot more than “no support” for joining it. – Yours, etc,
BARRY WALSH,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.
