A new defence agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland could allow British ships to “responding to an issue” in Irish waters, according to Helen McEntee, reports Breaking News.
The Minister for Defence unveiled a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two nations during Friday’s UK-Ireland Summit in Co Cork, reports Breaking News.
Described as a “refresh” of existing arrangements, McEntee said she and UK defence secretary John Healey had agreed to strengthen collaboration on security matters.
She added that the deal would provide a framework for co-operation on maritime defence, cyber security, joint procurement initiatives and “information sharing” in the aerial domain, reports Breaking News.
The agreement also includes provisions for training, education, and personnel exchanges.
The Government highlighted potential threats to critical subsea infrastructure, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin noting that the two countries were “interdependent” on subsea cables for energy and communications, reports Breaking News.
In what appeared to be a reference to Russia, he said: “We know what’s happened in other seas where there has been interventions, we know that certain elements have been observing the cables and other vital infrastructure, and 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.”
When asked if this could involve the British Navy patrolling Irish waters, he said he “would not get into specifics” but emphasised that “it’s not patrolling”, reports Breaking News.
The MoU introduces closer liaison between defence and naval organisations, alongside a framework for subsea infrastructure, including a “co-ordinated response mechanism for addressing major subsea communication cable incidents” affecting both countries.
This will involve live exercises and simulations of critical incidents starting in September, reports Breaking News.
The two countries have also agreed on joint seabed mapping initiatives as they pursue expanded offshore energy infrastructure ambitions.
McEntee stressed that the MoU clearly safeguards each nation’s “territorial integrity” and, in Ireland’s case, its neutrality, reports Breaking News.
Speaking to reporters at Fota House in Co Cork, she said: “We’re militarily neutral, but we’re not neutral to any of the threats that exist at the moment.”
Asked twice if the MoU could result in more UK military ships and aircraft operating in Irish waters and airspace, McEntee did not rule it out, reports Breaking News.
“This is about ensuring that if threats or issues arise, we have structures in place to work together in co-operation,” she said.
“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”, reports Breaking News.
McEntee described such arrangements as “appropriate” and said they were “already happening”.
The minister said it is important for Ireland to strengthen co-operation with other nations to mitigate risks, adding that she supports increased defence spending and wants to be “ambitious” in that regard, reports Breaking News.
She emphasised that the MoU is not “one-sided” and that both countries are “bringing something to the table”.
McEntee also said that Ireland’s involvement with the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force does not threaten Irish neutrality or require constitutional change, reports Breaking News.
The previous MoU was signed in 2015, and the newly signed agreement will be presented to the respective parliaments “in due course”.
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