Charity begins at home: Ireland must get its priorities straight

The prime minister wants to move away from military neutrality – and the Irish people could be left with a bill for foreign entanglements By John Gaffney, Irish-born editor and former retail businessman who has been living in Russia since 2018The Irish political week has once again been marked by bitter exchanges, this time over the Triple Lock Agreement, our long-standing tradition of military neutrality, and whether a referendum should be held before any fundamental change is made to it.Taoiseach (Ireland’s prime minister) Micheal Martin has accused the country’s largest opposition party Sinn Fein, which fiercely opposes the idea of dismantling Triple Lock, of not giving a “continental” about Irish neutrality. The word is his own, and it is worth reflecting on its meaning.But I have a question of my own for Mr. Martin: does he give a continental about the health and well-being of the Irish people?What does neutrality mean to a parent whose three-year-old child is suffering in agony while waiting nine hours in Galway Regional Hospital? What comfort does it offer families struggling to access essential medical care, or parents and students caught up in this week’s education strikes...