The intervention by President Michael D Higgins on neutrality has certainly caused major ripples politically and among the wider public.
His views were not surprising as they have been long held, but it is the timing of the comments that has raised hackles in some quarters.
They come just ahead of this week's public debate at the Government’s Consultative Forum on International Security Policy.
That gathering is the initiative of Tánaiste Micheál Martin so there is no doubt where the President’s criticisms have landed.
It was notable that Mr Martin’s lengthy statement contained no reference to President Higgins despite the fact that it was clearly prompted by his interview with the Business Post newspaper.
Instead, the Tánaiste strongly defended his decision to convene the forum insisting that now is the time to examine security policy in the wake of the war in Ukraine.
And he said that to shy away from doing so would be an "abrogation of responsibility".
In Government circles, there is understood to be irritation with the President’s interview but clear agreement that it will not engage in a public war of words with him.
And there is an awareness that attacking a very popular holder of the office may not play well.
Phone calls to Government figures elicited sighs and several responses of "I’d better not go there". One person said: "President Michael D does what President Michael D does".
Any public comments from Government ministers were very circumspect. Junior Minister Neale Richmond went the furthest saying that the President had gone "very close to the line" but had not crossed it.
And it’s understood that others privately agree with Mr Richmond’s summation.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee said the President knew the boundaries of his role.
Backbenchers have been less restrained. Fine Gael TD Charlie Flanagan took issue with the President’s reference to the chair of the forum – Louise Richardson – who Mr Higgins said was a person "with a very large DBE – Dame of the British Empire".
In response, Mr Flanagan said the remarks were "unnecessary, unfair and disappointing". He said that as well as being the first woman head of Oxford University, Ms Richardson is a most distinguished Irish woman with a long academic interest in security.
Others in the Oireachtas have had widely divergent responses. Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell said the President had gone far outside his permissible role. He tweeted: "Will anyone do anything about it. No. He was always going to do these things in a second term."
In contrast, People Before Profit TD Mick Barry has hailed the comments. Social Democrats deputy Gary Gannon said others would share the view of a drift towards NATO while Sinn Féin’s Martin Kenny said the public were wondering what the forum was all about. He said Irish people had an affinity with neutrality.
President of Young Fine Gael Eoghan Gallagher invoked the "thundering disgrace" phrase used by Minister Paddy Donegan in relation to President Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh.
But while some may agree or disagree with the sentiments, there is also the question of the President’s right to weigh in on Government policy.
The convention has been that Presidents do not critique the Government and that the office is above politics. But this is a practice rather than there being an explicit constitutional prohibition on a President expressing their views.
And President Higgins has not been shy about doing that on uncomfortable topic for this Government. He recently called housing a disaster and has been critical of the treatment of those in direct provision.
Undoubtedly though, the President’s comments will ignite the existing debate around neutrality - a concept Irish people are very attached to.
And while the Tánaiste will want to move the debate on to the substance of the discussions aired at the forum, there is no doubt, the President’s comments have made that very difficult.
