Leo Varadkar has used his farewell speech as Taoiseach to raise the question of Irish neutrality – and warn that we must be prepared for a military attack on the EU.

In his speech at Leinster House, the former Taoiseach took the opportunity to defend his time in power – insisting that the problems Ireland has faced in recent years have largely come from outside the country.

He noted that challenges like the financial crash, Brexit, the COVID pandemic, inflation, the energy crisis, climate change and migration all have origins outside of Ireland.

He went on to say that even challenges like health and housing have a “strong international element” – with many other countries facing the same problems.

“Ireland is an island, but it's not a separate planet and it's a fallacy to believe that most of our problems are homegrown or due to any particular political party or ideology,” he said.

“They're mostly global megatrends.

“We’re a small ship on a big and restless ocean and we need that ship to be crewed by good people.”

Neutrality

Turning to national security, Deputy Varadkar warned that European leaders he spoke to during his time in office “see very dark clouds on the near horizon”.

“For the first time in decades, we have a full-scale war in Europe,” he said.

“With Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Sweden has abandoned 200 years of neutrality [and] Finland has joined NATO.

“Some European countries are debating the introduction of national service, others are raising taxes, cutting spending and reducing public holidays to pay for increased defence expenditure.

Leo Varadkar delivers his farewell speech in Dáil Éireann. Image: Oireachtas/Flickr

“European leaders I speak to see very dark clouds on the near horizon.

“They may be wrong, I hope they're wrong, but we cannot assume they are or ignore the growing risks of a world in which democracy is in retreat and autocrats become ever more powerful.”

He noted that Ireland’s geography and neutrality “does not protect us in the way it did in the past” adding that, “the nature of security threats has changed utterly”.

“We have to be prepared for the consequences of an attack on an EU country and how we would respond to that,” he said.

Simon Harris at the City North Hotel in County Meath, 22-03-2024. Image: Alamy

Deputy Varadkar’s speech will be followed by a vote for Simon Harris as Taoiseach – with the new Fine Gael leader then making his own speech to the Dáil.

Later today he will also announce his new Cabinet and travel to Áras an Uachtaráin to receive his seal of office.

'He will rise to the occasion'

Deputy Varadkar wished his replacement, “every success in his new role as Taoiseach”.

“I always knew he would be Taoiseach one day,” he said.

“This is perhaps coming a little bit sooner than he would have planned or expected but I know he will rise to the occasion.

“He has empathy, energy, experience, campaigning skills and political antennae to take us forward and I look forward to voting for him and the new Cabinet later today.”

Simon Harris will become Ireland’s youngest-ever Taoiseach when he is confirmed in the role.