Ireland is considering changing the main tenets of its defence policies as the country grapples with an identified crisis over its traditional pillars of foreign affairs and security, and it may need to step up its currently low defence budget.
Since its inception, the Irish Republic has pursued neutrality, with minimal investment in defence. Following Sweden and Finland’s recent adhesion, it remains the only European Union country not part of NATO.
Several key defence matters have been “leased” to the United Kingdom. As recently as 2016, Ireland penned a deal with the UK for military cooperation with an alleged secret clause that gave the Royal Air Force a mandate to protect the Irish airspace. Brexit was the first shake to Irish security pillars.
To pursue a more independent defence policy, Ireland is considering increasing its armed forces personnel to 11,500, up from the current 7,500. The government also wants to triple military spending. Ireland is the EU member state with the smallest defence budget, only 0.25% of GDP, but there are plans to invest €3 billion long term for new army vehicles, a first squadron of fighter jets and for doubling the fleet to twelve patrol boats.
The ladder is becoming increasingly a priority after the Irish Navy realised it didn’t add any capacity left when one patrol boat was deployed offshore on a mission. Another issue that warrants investments in the navy is the persistent detection of Russian reconnaissance vessels near submarine cable lines in the Irish seas.
Finally, the current coalition government of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael proposes dropping one of the three security locks for military engagement. Under current laws, Ireland needs government decisions, parliamentary confirmation, and a United Nations Security Council mandate for authorising military operations.
However, Taoiseach Micheál Martin wants to remove the UN authorisation. As he put it, Ireland can’t leave the decision on the approval of Vladimir Putin. The resolution for this change will include an increment in the number of soldiers that can be deployed from 12 to 50.
