Presidential Election 2025

Anybody can label me FG because that’s what I was when I had a vote over there. So I’m biased but I don’t think that’s my only problem with Connolly. The way she expresses herself doesn’t seem to me to be a good fit for this race. I think she’ll need to attract centrist voters to win? Maybe she wants to polarize things and go with an exclusively left-wing vote?

I admire anyone who can speak Irish, having missed out on the opportunity to learn it at school after too much time abroad. Even the basics are tough as I found out much later. Holy God, what the rest of ye went through! All those words in the wrong place and letters not pronounced. Give me Spanish any day. I certainly wouldn’t criticize Connolly for that. Indeed, as a Humphreys fan, I’d concede my woman should have made a bigger effort at it.

I tried copy here but couldn’t. It’s a very balanced and sensible view/position.

Except thats not true, our territorial waters are 12 nautical miles around, our exclusive economic zone is what you are describing.

In a commercial sense yes, eg

https://www.thejournal.ie/ship-register-system-ireland-criminal-gangs-6818142-Sep2025/

ts not all about more warships its about commercial regulation.

this is just it with us. And it’s what rubs up other countries the wrong way. We want to be neutral, but we also want to be the loudest when it comes to pontificating and lecturing and admonishing others on what they should be doing!!

That's a debate you need to have with the government and it's supporters on a separate thread.

It is set government policy and isn't changing so it isn't an issue for a presidential candidate.

Cheers, I'm not on insta so was wondering. Very sensible comments from Maia there...

I agree. Very balanced and sensible. No agenda!

Thanks. I see the bit that was confusing me, explained on the site below. There is the Irish Continental Shelf which is different to Ireland’s territorial waters.

https://www.marine.ie/site-area/irelands-marine-resource/real-map-ireland-0

“The Real Map of Ireland shows Ireland's current designated Irish Continental Shelf, which is one of the largest seabed territories in Europe.

The continental shelf is the extension of a State's territorial waters, where the natural land extends under the sea to the outer edge of the continental margin beyond 200 nautical miles from the coastline baseline. We have sovereign rights over the continental shelf to explore and develop its natural resources, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Part VI.”

I then looked up this site re the potential use of Marine drones patrolling for drug routes through Irish waters/marine area

https://theguardproject.com/

“Ireland is the softest target in EU for smugglers.

Ireland’s 3171 kilometres of coastline and marine area 10x of its land size is impossible to effectively police with 9 naval ships.

Gateway for contraband including drugs into EU with only <10% caught.”

I aware warfare / military defence is changing the UK is going to spend 1B sterling on defence investing in drone technology controlled by AI

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce82qdlel01o.amp

Obviously the ROI could not invest that sort of money but that seems to be the way military defence and warfare is going. Multiple drones are cheaper than tanks.

I have no idea what would be the minimum amount to at least make Ireland slightly awkward to attack or the level of increased spending it would entail. Or even if it would be worth it.

A lot has changed in 12 years. I'm sure we're mature enough to make our own decisions. Why should Russia and China have a veto on them. If the EU does a peace keeping function, we should participate. That is quite different to joining NATO.