A new defence accord between Ireland and the UK could allow British vessels to “respond to an issue” within Irish waters, according to Minister for Defence Helen McEntee.
Minister McEntee revealed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries during the UK-Ireland Summit in Co Cork, reports RTE.
Presented as an update to current arrangements, Ms McEntee said she and UK Defence Secretary John Healey had agreed to deepen cooperation on security matters.
She said the deal would establish a structure for expanding collaboration on maritime defence, cyber security, joint procurement programmes and “information sharing” in the aerial sphere, reports RTE.
The agreement also includes provisions for training and education cooperation along with personnel exchange programmes.
The Government placed particular focus on risks facing critical subsea infrastructure, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin saying the two nations were “interdependent” when it comes to subsea cables used for energy and communications, reports RTE.
In what appeared to be a reference to Russia, he said: “We know what’s happened in other seas where there has been interventions and we know that certain elements have been observing the cables and other vital infrastructure.
“So that’s the context, and it’s to protect that and to make sure we can respond effectively if an event was to happen,” reports RTE.
Asked whether the arrangement would involve the UK Navy patrolling Irish waters, Mr Martin said he “would not get into specifics” but insisted “it’s not patrolling”.
The MoU’s closer cooperation between defence and naval bodies, alongside a new framework on subsea infrastructure, will introduce a “coordinated response mechanism for addressing major subsea communication cable incidents” that could impact both countries, reports RTE.
This mechanism will involve a series of live drills and simulated emergency scenarios related to critical incidents, beginning in September.
Both countries have also committed to joint projects on seabed mapping as the UK and Ireland move forward with plans for offshore energy infrastructure, reports RTE.
Ms McEntee stressed that the MoU clearly states that the “territorial integrity” of each country and Ireland’s neutrality in particular are “fully respected”.
Speaking to reporters at Fota House, she said: “We’re militarily neutral, but we’re not neutral to any of the threats that exist at the moment,” reports RTE.
When asked twice whether the MoU would lead to an increase in UK military ships or aircraft operating in Irish waters and airspace, Ms McEntee did not dismiss the possibility.
She said: “It is already the case that there are very clear rules and guidance as to when and where you may have other ships in your waters or planes in the skies, reports RTE.
“So it’s already the case that we have UK ships, for various reasons, military or otherwise in our waters.”
She added: “This is about making sure that if there are threats or issues that emerge, we have structures in place that we can work with each other in cooperation, reports RTE.
“That perhaps might mean in response to an issue, if it happens that there would be support from the UK in the way that there could be support from other countries as well.”
Ms McEntee said this approach was “appropriate” and noted that such cooperation was “already happening”, reports RTE.
The minister said strengthening cooperation with other countries is important to reduce risks, adding that she supports higher defence spending.
“I think we need to spend more on defence,” she said, adding “we are spending more on defence, a 55% increase in the most recent capital plan and 43% increase in our current spending”, reports RTE.
However, she said “we need to do more and I want us to be ambitious in that regard”.
Ms McEntee said the MoU was not a “one-sided agreement” and that both sides were “bringing something to the table”, reports RTE.
She added that Ireland’s cooperation with the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force does not undermine neutrality or require any constitutional amendment.
The previous MoU was signed in 2015, and the newly agreed document will be presented before the respective parliaments “in due course”, reports RTE.
Meanwhile British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said tensions in the Middle East have highlighted the importance of maintaining strong relations between the UK and Ireland, reports RTE.
The Taoiseach said closer coordination between the two nations would help safeguard economic security.
Mr Martin and Mr Starmer met at Fota House ahead of a series of discussions involving ministers from both governments during the second UK-Ireland Summit, reports RTE.
Earlier, the two leaders visited the Tyndall National Institute, an electronics research facility at University College Cork.
Following the meeting, a joint statement was issued outlining agreed actions in the areas of “shared prosperity, shared seas and shared ties”, reports RTE.
Speaking at the opening of the summit, Mr Martin said the cooperation between the two governments in addressing the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles “personifies the benefits of our relationship”.
He added: “We have an agreed memorandum of understanding in terms of defence and security which is very, very important where we are collectively working together in a collaborative way and a cooperative way, work to protect our sub-sea cables, our critical underwater infrastructure, the challenges on cyber-attacks that affect us all and more general security issues, reports RTE.
“I think that level of coordination is very, very important to underpin and guarantee our economic security, but broader security in a very challenging and uncertain world.”
The Taoiseach said trade between the UK and Ireland continues to expand.
Irish companies have generated 150,000 jobs in the UK, which Mr Martin described as evidence of a strong economic partnership that the Irish government intends to continue strengthening, reports RTE.
Mr Starmer pointed to cooperation on trade and energy strategies.
An interconnector linking Wales and Ireland is expected to deliver enough electricity to power 570,000 homes and represent at least €855m in private investment, reports RTE.
Another energy link between the north and south is designed to reduce electricity prices across the island.
The Taoiseach said the two sides had also approved several cultural collaborations involving archival institutions, museums and theatre groups, reports RTE.
“We’ll have co-production and so forth, and we’ve put funding up to €5 million behind that particular initiative,” he said.
Senior Irish and British cabinet ministers also attended the meeting earlier today, reports RTE.
The Irish Government delegation to the summit includes: Taoiseach Micheál Martin; Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris; Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence Helen McEntee; Minister for Climate, Energy and Environment and Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien; and Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan.
The UK delegation includes: Prime Minister Keir Starmer; Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband; Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn; Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Emma Reynolds; and Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle, reports RTE.
Mr Starmer is also expected to announce later investments totalling more than €900 million by 15 Irish companies in the UK.
These investments are anticipated to create 850 new jobs across the UK, reports RTE.
Many of the projects, supported by Enterprise Ireland, are focused on sectors such as AI-driven corporate services, renewable energy and telecommunications.
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