Ireland has been labelled the “ultimate defence freeloader” in a recent article published by Politico, which accuses the country of failing to uphold its responsibilities in safeguarding Europe’s northwestern borders.
The article, written by Eoin Drea, a senior research officer at the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, looks at Ireland’s defence capabilities amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and broader security challenges facing Europe.
Drea argues that despite being responsible for 16 percent of the European Union’s territorial waters and overseeing 75 percent of the transatlantic undersea cables passing near its shores, Ireland is unprepared to defend its critical infrastructure or even its own borders.
He points out that the Irish Navy is operating with just one operational ship due to staffing shortages. “Ireland simply has no undersea capabilities,” Drea writes, adding that the country has “abdicated responsibility for protecting Europe’s northwestern borders.”
The article also highlights Ireland’s lack of air defence capabilities, noting that the country has no combat jets or primary radar systems to monitor its airspace.
Drea points out that Ireland relies on a secretive agreement with the United Kingdom, which allows the Royal Air Force (RAF) to manage air defence on Ireland’s behalf. “Ireland has outsourced its security to Britain,” Drea claims, suggesting that this arrangement effectively cedes control of Irish airspace to the RAF.
As I previously covered, this agreement does benefit Ireland, not because of an imminent Russian attack, but due to the practical challenges posed by Russian military aircraft.
These aircraft often fly through the Irish Flight Information Region with their transponders turned off, making them invisible to civilian air traffic control. When RAF jets are deployed to shadow these aircraft, they provide crucial information to air traffic controllers, ensuring that civilian flights can be safely routed away from potential collisions.
Drea further criticises the Irish Government’s continued emphasis on neutrality, particularly during international forums like the Munich Security Conference.
He describes Dublin’s stance as “out of touch” with current geopolitical realities and highlights the government’s lack of investment in defence, despite the country’s strong economic performance. “Security and defence spending don’t even enter into the conversation of how this money is to be spent,” Drea writes.
In conclusion, the article suggests that even a direct Russian attack on EU member states might not be enough to prompt Ireland to significantly increase its defence contributions. Drea argues that this reluctance is part of a broader approach to EU affairs, where economic considerations take precedence over collective security responsibilities. “Two things are certain: Ukraine will keep fighting; Ireland will keep freeloading,” Drea concludes.
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With “friends” like Ireland who needs enemies. Ireland’s complete lack of capability in the air and at sea as well as its populations increasing belligerents to the UK providing security assistance represents a massive security threat to the UK and the European Union they claim to cherish so much.
Ireland’s economy is increasingly based on stealing tax revenues from other more poorer countries well at the same time continuing to benefit from a peaceful and secure North Atlantic and continuing nothing.
In the post 9/11 environment not having even a basic air interception capability is close to criminal.
I agree with most of that but I don’t recognise our “increasing belligerents to the UK providing security assistance.” Apart from the Sinn Fein’ers who are on the down.
I do not think that Ireland should purchase jets as we simply wouldn’t pay for the jet fuel to operate them effectively (see RN carriers). I would prefer effective radars and something along the lines of a few patriots.
Could an RAF facility be set up in Northern Ireland to Police the UK sector and a QRA flight based in Cornwall to quickly vector up the Irish Sea? Then Russan aircraft can have the free run of Irish airspace. Leave them to it. As long as we can see them early and monitor.. UK GBAD needs sorting but protection from BM and other threats shouldn’t include Ireland in the footprint, but sites in Wales, Cornwall West Coast Scotland and NI would prevent and RU or Chinese sub launched missiles flying over Ireland..
Irelands immigration policy is even more lax tha ours, they are handing out passports to the third world. The CTA should also be scrapped as a matter of National security .
We already have RAF Valley in Anglesey (just a could of minutes flight time as high subsonic speed), which operates the Hawk jet trainers – I have also seen pairs of Typhoons on occasion with my own eye flying out of there. It would be much cheaper & faster to renovate that with some hardened aircraft shelters, ammunition bunkers and improved infrastructure if a legitimate and immediate threat was posed to Northern Ireland.
Setting up a whole new QRA base in Cornwall/South West would be a waste in my opinion. Geographically, all of our threats come from the North East, and already would have to get through multiple allied countries first before being able to strike us. The submarine threat will always stand as our Achilles heel as we are an island nation. This said it would probably be more efficient to invest in GBAD to count submarine launched cruise missiles than relying on fighter jets – infact it would probably be more efficient to double our P-8s and have at least 2 anti submarine vessels forming a continuous screen around our waters anyway to prevent this type of attack all together.
Ah no thank you David, while I have no doubt you were well intentioned we’ll not being having any more British military on these shores thank you after the atrocities they committed in the past
Oh dear I think we’ll just leave that there Mike, it’s not worth a response really.
There is an RAF station at the International airport. (Aldergrove) Aldergrove airport doesn’t have a high volume of civilian flights so increasing the RAF presence wouldn’t be prohibitively expensive, I would’ve thought.
Not a subject ignored there. I actually sent another article on this to this site some weeks ago:- https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2024/04/05/government-must-dramatically-increase-defence-spending-and-appoint-dedicated-minister-says-flanagan/
Obviously Ireland needs to start taking responsibility for its own area of interest. If the current deal with the UK is unpalatable and they’re not being part of NATO, perhaps the EU could set up an Air/Maritime Policing mission? Having said that any such deal puts additional strain on military resources and should be dependant on Ireland commiting to a proper defence budget and plan for control of their own security.
The French have been more active off the West Coast over the last few years, but nothing formal and there isn’t going to be an active policing mission based in Ireland.
But the Irish can do no wrong. The Americans love them. Drink up. Ireland is an extreme example of economics over security. Something our previous chancellor banged on about. Then someone comes along and nicks your toys, or you end up on the wrong side of a fight. The consequences of neglecting security can be surprising. Please remind the U.K. government of the same. Maybe it would think twice about continually defence cuts. Politicians just don’t care about security. They are the first ones to ‘resign’ or get on a plane to somewhere else. Maybe politicians should’ve been given the responsibility for national security since there do not understand the need.
In fact when you look at the figures you get a measure of the problem and mindset. Ireland have historically been at the bottom end of the defence ladder and looking at their geographical location you can see how wrong this is especially with our own dwindling assets. They’re currently spending on average 0.2 – 0.3% of GDP which translates to about 1.23 billion Euros. The EU should be coming down on top of them or cutting them loose if they don’t act.
Defence spending isn’t an EU area, each nation state can spend what it chooses.
Yes, but tax harmonisation is actually as they are breaking single market rules but setting ludicrously low corporate taxes and therefore hoovering up other countries revenues.
Ultimately Ireland’s wealth is a bit of a charade at the expense of other countries where the taxes should be going.
They were allowed to do it as they were poor.
That is an area that is still under debate and will require a treaty change of some sort to come into effect, and none of the 27 want a new treaty at the moment. Moreover there are other members that have even lower rates and bands than Ireland already.
Look how popular the last treaties were.
Look what it did to France: home of the stuff the UK on BREXIT Barnier.
What the Eurocrats underestimated [didn’t understand at all] was how annoyed the rest of the population would be at that approach. It certainly annoyed me and I used to work for the EU and tended to see it as a plus!
It has actually paralysed the EU as nobody dares do anything to annoy yet another cohort of the EU population.
I don’t thing the Fromagists etc are that popular or have much to offer but the mainstream just don’t take the issue seriously enough as they don’t want to antagonise the Eurocracy – partially because it is intractable faced with an intransigent Eurocracy which is why we left in the first place.
There is an EU obligation to come to any other EU nation that’s attacked aid militarily (actually more strongly worded than NATO’s article 5). Ireland seems to be in a poor position to do that.
And yet when France called for it, Ireland replaced French troops in UNFIL, lost a trooper since. Also there is an opt out on that as well, something that Denmark had as well until recently, as well as the fact that defence spending is a domestic issue, but budget profiles are restricted by treaty in the Eurozone.
Nothing will ever change. I remember Irish soldiers living in the North, claiming British benefits who “commuted” South to patrol the border daily. Freeloading just isn’t in it. And whilst the likes of the Clintons and Biden inhabit the American political system? Whilst the EU does nothing? It will continue.
If they were patrolling the border, that means during the Troubles, so please cite some evidence that active Irish soldiers were living in the North during that period, hell I know of only a handful serving now that are from NI. And spare me the “British benefits” line, NI businesses and workers do the same thing South of the border all the time, or pull nixers as the Republics pay is better than NI.
Fine. The “evidence” was provided by my own eyes and observations. Obviously you never served there. The rest is Opsec. Oh, and do not bite so quickly.
A very odd and dangerous thing to have done in ‘the troubles’……you didn’t play games of that sort over there.
Hence my doubts, given everything during the Troubles.
I knew of a fair few Irish Army soldiers who lived in the greater Londonderry/ Strabane areas during the troubles. Whether or not they were claiming the dole in NI I have no idea but we (the RUC) knew they were there. Mostly they kept their heads down and didn’t shout about their occupation. I arrested one for disorderly behaviour once in Strabane and I recall a particularly nasty little twat in Londonderry who was arrested several times for public order offences. Both Privates in the Irish Army.
I think you mean Derry.
“I think”?
After all your verbal manure. You say something funny.
You’re sharp as a tack Mike, not getting anything past you this fine morning!
Oh give over you fool. No-one here cares about the crap you’re posting…
You cared enough to reply.
Wasn’t really that I cared, my reply was more motivated by pity, you fool.
Hmmmh I’m not so sure…you do seem a little triggered.
Not really, unlike you who was triggered by my original post. Now be quiet, you fool.
I was just trying to help you as you got the name wrong, don’t shoot the messenger!
😂😂😂 you’re funny, for someone who’s so easily triggered!!
Thank you, I appreciate the compliment, and can I say it’s been my great pleasure to educate you on this fine day.
You’re really welcome; positivity is probably an excellent antidote to the delusional tendencies you appear to suffer from. Keep positive. Don’t be so easily triggered. It’s my pleasure to help you through this!
What a day, I’ve got you to stop name calling and now you know it’s Derry or An Doire to give the city its proper title, the power of education, I should be charging you for this!
Well I felt sorry for you, it can’t be easy being so easily triggered by someone using the official name of Northern Ireland’s second city, Londonderry. I would never think of a charge for educating you, it wouldn’t be right, I think you’ve probably got enough problems as it is!
Ok good, the insult level is dropping that’s progress but you have slipped up on your geography it’s An Doire in the North of Ireland. Here’s a freebie just because I like helping you, Ulster has nine counties, not six.
I know, I know and yes you are welcome George.
Ah, the inability to accept difference of opinion and the repeated use of dogma in an attempt to reinforce your narrow worldview. Classic symptoms of brainwashing which leads to delusion. Here’s a freebie just because I find you mildly amusing; Northern Ireland has six counties.
I know, I know, it’s all in the first part of your username, Lost, but it’s okay I don’t mind helping you along today. You’re welcome, and I still feel sorry for you.
I’m glad to see you have accepted An Doire as the correct name, good man.
An example of delusion \ dogma, if you would be so good as to indulge me, would be thinking that Ulster has six counties, another might be thinking that outside of the North of Ireland any of us are viewed as anything other than Irish.
Oh dear, mistaken perceptions of what I believe / accept or don’t. Classic outworkings of an indoctrinated mind.
Well the thing is at no stage did I mention ‘Ulster’; that was you in an attempt to deflect this discussion. I’m well aware that Ulster has nine counties just as Northern Ireland has six counties. You’ll really have to try harder.
‘Outside of the North of Ireland any of us are viewed as anything but Irish’; in my experience that isn’t universally the case at all, though yours may be different. I really couldn’t care less what people think; and I suspect that we inhabit very different worlds and spheres of influence. If people call me Irish I don’t get excited about it. How do you feel when people describe you as British?
The difference between you and I ‘Lost’ is that I don’t get triggered when I read or hear something which is an antithesis to my beliefs. I still feel sorry for you.
It has long been know that it is in the U.K. best interests to defend Ireland it is the weak spot in our already weak U.K. defence.
N It is the fact we
A) do it for free
B) they go off on one every time we are seen to police their airspace from the Russians.
Not asking for much, but a simple thank you would be nice!!
true but Ireland doesn’t really have enemies at its doorsteps, unless the UK is planning an invasion? Furthrmore Ireland is not a Nato member and not covered by article 5.
Whereas the 3 baltic Nato members (Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) who have a credible enemy at their doorstep are a much greater liability than Ireland. Combined the 3 baltics have about the same population as Finland, yet the 3 baltics have 0 combat aircraft, no tanks, no subs, no frigates.
Sure they spend 2% on salaries and pensions but they have close to 0 military capability. 2% is meaningless, what counts is what forces you can actually contribute.
Plenty of freeloaders in Europe when it comes to defence, it’s not just Ireland.
my 2 cents
That’s not really fair to be honest..Estonian will be spending 3.2% GDP on defence this year..Lithuania 2.7% and Latvia 2.4…they have started a massive increase in spending since 2021..
All three states are presently massively upgrading their land forces..Latvia has just introduced conscription Lithuanian reintroduced conscription in 2015 and Estonian has always had conscription and trains 3500 soldiers a year.
looking at manpower for their armies
lithuania has 15,200 regulars, 5000 Territorials, 14,000 volunteers and 28,000 reservists..for around a total of 62,000…
Latvia has 7,300 regulars, 10,000 national guard, 38,000 reservists for a total of 55,000
Estonia has 7700 regulars, 16,000 Territorials, 38,000 reservists for a total of 61,000
so total manpower wise after they have full formed the three nations can call on around 170,000 in manpower…when you consider the population of the three states is 6 million total that’s better than the UK. As for expenditure..the GDP of the three states is 150 billion…Ireland is 530 billion..and yet the Baltics spend 4 billion via Irelands 1 billion…I would not call the Baltic states free loaders, I would call them profoundly poor, tiny and geostrategically exposed as hell.
So they are not freeloaders but they are massive liabilities.
again that is 0 military capability just salaries and pensions
By comparison, Finland with a smaller population of 5.6m (vs 6m for 3 baltics) has
– 34,000 active troops (280,000 wartime strength) with 870,000 reservists
– 200 tanks, 200 IFVs and +1000 various apc as well as artillery and air defense
– 60+ F18 Hornets (64 F35A on order), 3xC17
– 4 corvettes, 8 missile boats, over a dozen minelayers & minesweepers, 100+ small landing crafts
Sorry but Baltics paying salaries without any equipment makes their defence meaningless. It’s like relying on police force to defend the country, it won’t hold any line.
Considering the war in Ukraine, they need to make significantly more effort to muster a semblance of defence, (that can hold the line long enough for reinforcements).
Right now it is Nato that is doing that job for them free of charge, thus 100% freeloading.
In Iceland or Ireland it may not make sense to spend +10% GDP in defense, but for baltics that is what is likely needed given their specific situation. Over the decades following WW2, the Netherlands dedicated 20% GDP on measures to counter flooding because it was a national priority given their environment. Baltics need to make the same type of effort given their national priority.
Yes but Finland has around double the GPD of the Baltic..
if we just look at the Lithuanian navy
they have
5 mine warfare vessels
4 fast attack/patrol craft armed with 8 SSMs, sea sparrow and and a 76mm gun
its army has a fully equipped mechanised brigade and a motorised infantry brigade and a reserve light infantry brigade…and a volunteer brigade so essentially a division +
heavy equipment wise it’s got
90 boxers equipped with 30mm cannon turrets
230 m113 APCs
700 light protected vehicles
21 heavy tracked 155 artillery systems
2 batteries of medium range AAW system..
it’s also just taking delivery of 56 leopard 2s…
has 18 155mm artillery systems on order
8 Himars on order
thats with a GPD of 1 fifth of Finlands…that’s actually way more that Ireland with only 1 eighth of its GDP…so they really are not free loading..not sure what you expect of a nation with a defence budget of 2 billion dollars.
I would suggest looking at their new order or battle, they are a well equipped modern NATO force.
Ukraine had a GDP of about $150 billion in 2020, similar to all 3 baltics states. Yet Ukraine was still able to fend off the Russians on their own, before the West sent any support.
Another example of %GDP spend vs actual military capability. North Korea has a GDP of less than $20 billion and spend $2 billion on defence and yet have plenty of capability with over 1m standing army, huge amount of equipment, including nuclear capability.
ofc the standard of living in N Korea is not that of the Baltics, but it just goes to show that even with limited ressources, it is quite possible to have military capability as long as their is the political will.
So i am sorry but i do not buy the argument that Baltics are doing all they can for their defence, far from it.
I have pointed out the hardware that just one of the states has purchased…your original point was that they had no modern armour, MBTs or heavy equipment …I have pointed out they have invested in that…quite frankly a nation of 5 million people and a GDP 70 billion that can put down an armoured division with modern MBTs, modern IFVs and modern self propelled artillery that’s as well as long range precision fires..that’s not bad…and not freeloading.
Ouch!
Once the British return the stolen North then we will consider it, til then let them earn their ill gotten gains.
It must really grate your gonads that the Irish Naval Service has either been made up of old Royal Navy cast offs or been built in English shipyards 🙂
Not at all Mike, it suits me just fine, now go and get that chequebook out me lad 🤣
Just put in a claimi for historical abuse Dougal. Time you got something for a life on your knees.
I think you meant ‘claim’ not ‘claimi’ do let me know if I can help you out spelling basic words again old chum.
Two thoughts in as many hours?
Must be your personal best.
Now go humiliate yourself somewhere else.
You’re boring me now.
I like the way you broke that up into four separate sentences, all on new lines no less!
Good for you Mike keeping things nice and simple, that’s the way to go, good man.
At a minimum, Ireland should be able to monitor air space when transponders are off and some probable cooperation over the sub sea internet cables.
Essentially true, fine for Ireland but although not a member of NATO EU membership also comes with military obligations which Ireland is in no position to fulfil. That said it’s not the only one, Iceland has no military – on the other hand it does at least allow NATO to use its bases. Ireland preserves a myth of neutrality but actually relies on its political leverage with US and geographical proximity to the UK to protect it despite now being one of the highest GDP per person countries in the world.
Neutrality counts for nothing with an aggressor that has domination designs. Holland had declared itself neutral at the start of WW2 but it didn’t stop Nazi Germany from invading and occupying and putting the civil population under the boot. We’re Russia to invade at any time in the past or future and take Europe would they stop at the UK and say oh we’ll leave the Irish out of it, I don’t think so.
In a way, this is another delayed consequence of the ending of the cold war. If UK and other countries politicians were able to convince themselves during the nineties and beyond that there were no more peer conflicts to come, then Ireland certainly felt it had no need for fighter jets, advanced radar, sub surface warfare assets etc. Unfortunately everyone chose to ignore Russian grey zone activities and intentions over the past 15 years. Consequently, the costs of acquiring radars, fast jets, new naval vessels and the crewing, training and infrastructure of this are huge and long-term. In fairness, there is a belated recognition in Government Buildings that the current situation can’t continue, but it’s unfortunately going to take long time to get these assets in place.
The English ‘raped and pillaged’ Ireland for 700 years. So, payback maybe?
The English haven’t ruled England for nearly a thousand years though. Also, it’s always odd how Irish fanboys stop looking at history 700 years ago. It’s almost like there is something they don’t want anyone to see…
So the English have not ruled Ireland for a 100 years… Norman Barons ruled Ireland on behalf on the English King from 1170 to 1542. 1542 saw the ‘Crown of Ireland Act’, creating the title ‘King of Ireland’, allowing the rulers of England, to call themselves King of Ireland.
The first monarch to be called King of Ireland was Henry III. Upon his death, Elizabeth 1st, then became Queen of England and Ireland, until she died in 1603… I could go on, but I’m bored now to be honest!
Clearly what you know about history, could be written on the back of a cigarette packet, and still leave room for the Lords prayer.
You had the answer in your grasp there, and it just slipped away from your poor feeble mind. Sad, many such cases.
Oh dear, your one of those. Historical facts have been revealed to you, and in your ignorance and mediocrity, you switch to insults, in your futile attempt of a comeback. That… is what is sad!
Delusional. You set off with the insults and faux historical waffle. I do love the victim mentality the Irish hold though, it’s like having our own native blacks. “We din du nuffin”, “we wuz kangz” etc. I wonder what Irish wakanda would have looked like?
Dude… settle petal. You’ll give yourself a headache or a nosebleed. Regarding your comments: –
“Victim mentality of the Irish”
“like having our own native blacks.”
Give a fool enough rope, and they will always, hang themselves. To quote in part, from an old parable…
You have been weighed, you have been measured, you have been schooled… and you have been found wanting.
Now… dry up, and blow away.
Nah, I’m just going to kick back and watch you preen about your self inflated sense of intellect.
Yawn… it took you this long to reply, and that’s the best you can do??
This is a Forum where people comment, debate and talk about things Military. If all you can do is cause disruption, abuse people, and make racist comments, maybe a moderator should tell you where to go
Now shush…
Tom “ The English ‘raped and pillaged’ Ireland for 700 years. So, payback maybe?”
Does your opening comment meet your suddenly imposed standards. Maybe a moderator should take a look.
Try Henry the eighth, then Edward the fifth, Mary the first then Elizabeth the first as the sequence of English Monarchs between 1542 and 1603
Tom clearly has the measure of you Luke 🤣
You see the calibre of fanboy that you’re attracting Tom?
Run while you still can boy!
Well I certainly won’t be joining you down there plumbing the depths and slinging low brow xenophobic insults online Mike.
it does nicely highlight just what an anti Irish little echo chamber this comments section is though, and also how poorly equipped you are to deal with facts that clash with your own limited world view.
You have an Irish mans pity.
What are you doing then, hanging out in an anti Oirish echo chamber?
Given what you write, how you write and where you write it.
You are a very, very sad little keyboard warrior. Playing victim in whatever pantomime version of history you’ve make up or been spoon fed by the local priest while on your knees.
Nothing to contribute other than insults Mike? It hardly helps make a case now does it.
We’ve just discussed this very thing a few days ago on a similar article. All they need to do is own up to their people rather than being secrative(we all know about it, so would any Irish citizens who look into it), constitutionally permit it as it suits both Eire & the UK.
Otherwise it would be a huge cost to create the suppoort systems to monitor airspace & provide a squadron or two of jets to do their own QRA interception.
I live in the Republic of Ireland… Whilst there is a general agreement when I speak to people that Ireland should be spending more on defence, scratch the surface and the underlying assumptions are: (1) We are Irish, everyone likes us; (2) Eire is neutral, so no one would want to harm us; (3) In a worse case the USA, UK and NATO will protect us; (4) We are a small country and can’t possibly spend enough on defence to make any real difference; [this leading to] (5) so we may as well not waste several billion euros on the military and instead spend the money on health, education, housing, public sector pay, and the most generous immigration and asylum policy in the world (resulting in a net population growth of 4% a year) .
The current Irish government specifically decided in 2022 against buying any fighter aircraft when it was given the estimated cost for a dozen second-hand F-16’s or Gripen’s. No chance of that changing in near future. When challenged, the planned buy of a primary air surveillance type radar and a large multi-role ship (both at the RFI procurement stage, and at least 4 years from entering service) are always used as cover.
So like the Peace Dividend delusion the politicians prefer to invest in their own popularity and election prospects than the first responsibility of the nation state of Defence.
Presumably that won’t change until voters spot how corrupt that is…
Dude your take on the Irish, and the Republic’s view on Defence, and other such subjects, is bang on! I know… I’m Irish. 😁
Ironic that a Brit should accuse anyone if freeloading given that Britain freeloaded on Ireland for hundreds of years. Our most likely attacker has always been Britain.
The author isn’t British?
Just so everyone knows how much Ireland is a nation of free loaders.
The effective corporate tax rate of multinationals in Ireland was a very small fraction of 1%.
This was until the 2010″s and is my most recent personal knowledge.
Oh dear poor Mike is at it again!
Not exactly James Joyce are you Dougal.
Hold your breath until I get back to you.
Excellent! we have moved from the insult to the unintelligible response phase, can’t wait to see what’s next from old Mikey.