Irelands DUTY in NE Atlantic - to both itself & its 2 closest neighbours & to Sea +Air traffic over that vast zone

 1. Ireland has a vast EEZ [  Exclusive Economic Zone ]  in the central  NE Atlantic of  343,750 Square Miles =  21.82  % of EU area of 1.575557 M  Square Miles, or  12.67 TIMES its own sovereign land area

2.  At Ballygirreen in County Clare, North of Shannon Intl Airport,  is the Radio to serve the vast central NE Atlantic *Oceanic Air Traffic Control Zone* of 700,000 Square Miles  =  44.43 % of EU area, or  25.8  TIMES the Irish  sovereign land area. This Zone  runs half-way across the  central NE Atlantic towards Canada.

 3. Ireland therefore has a DUTY to not solely provide but  - alongside its 2 closest neigbours in that Zone, FRANCE and UK  -  to CONTRIBUTE  its  own [ small but propoprtionate ]  SHARE to both [a] the provision of both Air Sea Search and Rescue Services,  plus [b]  Security in that area [ with absolutely vital Cables from North Amercia to Europe ], as well as [c] to interdict unlawful activity, such as Drugs, People or Weapons smuggling, and to also [d] police its own EEZ.

4. Ireland - totally unlike comparable  smaller lands like Denmark or NZ -   has completely and shamefully neglected each of those  duties. Thus damaging its own interests and self-respect as well as needlessly  endanering its neighbours and indeed all our EU Partners.

5.  That 4  large military Drones  [ no doubt from Putinland ]  appeared  near Dublin Airport exactly when Pres Zelensky was DUE to land is  extremely sinister. No weapons were  needed on those Drones in order to to murder  him  - just crash 1 or more into his aircraft. He escaped - this time - but only because he   landed 4 mins before scheduled. 

It echoes Sept 1961 when a French-built Fouga Magister Jet of the *Union Miniere* mining giant-funded , breakaway Tshombe regime  in Katanga,  flown by a Belgian  WW 2 RAF Pilot,  and a Mercenary in the Congo, shot down the aircraft with the Swedish  UN Sec-Gen Dag Hammarskjokd,  before landing  at Ndola Airport.

Will this sinister episode  finally wake up Irish Govt, media and people  to the very real   - and indeed increasing - threats which we ALL face across Europe -  not just  in our FRONT LINE, Ukraine,  from our COMMON enemy, Putin ?

6. From July to Dec 2026 Ireland is DUE TO  again host the rotating 6-month EU Presidency. With minimal secruity capacity - of its own. Will the 26 other EU PMs and Foreign Ministers have to  travel to Dublin by train and boat  - for their own security ? Or will the Irish Govt - at last  - take its own responsibilities seriously ?

7.  Latest  poll shows that  [ excluding Dont Knows ] 52.38 % of people sampled  now want Ireland to join NATO.  This was also  a poll taken BEFORE the 4 sinister Drones appeared near Dublin Airport.

8. Cost  of finally   funding serious National Security  is not a problem - it is nothing compared to the costs  - for  Ireland and all of Europe - if Putin wrecks the vital Cables in the NE Atlantic, off our SW Coast - his SPY Ship *Yantar*, Warships,  Subs and Nuclear-capable Long Range *Bear* Bombers regularly prowl off  our SW Coast, and hover over those vital Cables. 

9.  In addition, since Ships and Aircraft will serve for 30 years, the Capital Cost of  funding them can be spread over that period - as an essential long-term Investment.

Tom Carew