Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said that the final report on the Government's Consultative Forum on International Security Policy will be an "important contribution" to an ongoing discussion on Ireland's future policy.
In his closing remarks on the final day of the forum, Mr Martin said he hoped that the past four days have shown there is nothing theoretical about the risks facing the country from threats like cybercrime and disinformation.
Mr Martin said the choices that lie ahead are very important and need to be conducted in a very transparent way.
He said everyone has had their say at the forum - including protestors inside and outside.
The Tánaiste said the public could still comment and make submissions on Ireland's foreign policy until Friday 7 July.
Speaking earlier, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has said that military neutrality is at the heart of his party's policy, and it remains opposed to NATO membership.
Eamon Ryan said the Greens believe in soft power, and he contended our neutrality is a recognised badge of legitimacy in an increasingly polarised world.
However, he said the Green Party is open to a new and progressive Triple Lock, so that Ireland is not "at the mercy" of an increasingly "disruptive" UN Security Council.
The current position demands that backing is secured from Cabinet, the Dáil and UN Security Council before more than 12 Irish troops can be deployed abroad.
Minister Ryan said the Green proposal would require permission from the Dáil, the Seanad and the UN Security Council but, if the latter cannot be agreed, with the support of the UN General Assembly.
He said the Greens believe that if it is not possible to secure the backing of the United Nations, then any future government could seek to secure the decision from a "regional organisation" like the European Union.
However Minister Ryan said that any decision would have to be consistent with the UN Charter and its purposes and principles.
On hybrid threats, which he described as hugely important and critical, the Green Party leader said the Cambridge Analytica scandal was example of how countries could be destabilised and undermined from abroad.
Part of today's discussions focussed on how to define Ireland's neutrality and assess options for the future.
Proceedings began with an analysis of emerging threats from disinformation, cyber attacks and economic coercion, as well as an overview of the capabilities of the Defence Forces.
Disinformation
Earlier, Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission, Art O'Leary, described the scale of the problem of disinformation as "enormous".
Mr O'Leary said that tackling such disinformation during the three weeks of a general election campaign will be a "key part" of what his Commission will do.
He told the conference, however, that "we can't do it by ourselves".
Mr O'Leary said its priority is to establish the Electoral Commission as a credible source on electoral matters, and that needs to happen "very quickly."
He said the Commission does not report to the government, but the Oireachtas, and has a responsibility to do so after every electoral event - something which provides an opportunity for learning.
The Commission has to become quick, versatile and responsive in calling-out misinformation, Mr O'Leary said.
Ross Frenett, CEO of Moonshot, said the presence of so many talented people from the tech industry in Ireland should be harnessed by the State to defend it and its allies.
He referenced how the UK had established the 77th Brigade, to create a reserve which would help with that objective.
Mr Frenett said the Irish reserve had been diminished to non-existence, something he had been a member of, and he argued that Ireland needed to be more forward and positive looking.
Dr Victorija Rusinaité, Director of the Research and Analysis Hybrid Centre of Excellence in Helsinki, contended that people should be "very concerned" about China, and the possibilities of economic coercion.
She said China is heavily investing in critical infrastructure in Europe, and we do not know what the country will ultimately do with that power.
Climate change
This morning, the forum heard that if the US military was categorised as a country, it would be ranked in 40th place when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions.
Dan Smith, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, was talking about the emerging threats that the world has to grapple with.
Asked whether the risk posed by Russia was over-exaggerated, Mr Smith replied that it depends on who you are talking to.
He said that he really understood why the tone shifted so quickly in the Nordic neighbourhood, and why Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership once Russia invaded Ukraine.
Mr Smith said what nations of the world have to do is to calculate risk.
He suggested that the risk of nuclear disaster, as a result of the war in Europe, was somewhere less than 10%.
But he argued the risk of significant damage from ignoring climate change was 100%.
Report
The afternoon attention will turn to the issue of Ireland's neutrality, from a historical perspective, as well as options and implications of any change in the future.
Once the consultative forum closes, chair Professor Louise Richardson will compile a report for the Tánaiste.
There have been protests at each of the three previous forum sittings - in Cork, Galway and Dublin - and more demonstrations are expected today.
Read more:
What is the forum on international security policy?
Yesterday, the Taoiseach said it was "not the intention" of the Government, or any of the three individual parties that make up the coalition, to join a military alliance, including NATO.
Speaking at the forum in Dublin Castle, Leo Varadkar identified cyber security, international terrorism and threats on infrastructure as three areas where Ireland could engage further with PESCO - the defence cooperation entity of the European Union.
He said that Ireland would sign up to such projects on a case-by-case basis and in line with the country's policy of military neutrality.
Asked about suggestions of a referendum ruling out the possibility of Ireland joining NATO, he replied: "I have never heard of the idea of having a referendum on not joining an organisation."
