Ireland and UK enhance defence co-operation

A new defence agreement between the UK and Ireland could see British ships “responding to an issue” in Irish waters, according to Dublin.

Ireland’s Defence Minister Helen McEntee announced a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two nations at Friday’s UK-Ireland Summit in Co Cork.

Billed as a “refresh” of existing arrangements, Ms McEntee said she and UK Defence Secretary John Healey had agreed enhanced engagement on security.

She said it would provide a framework for developing co-operation on maritime defence, cyber security, joint procurement initiatives and “information sharing” in the aerial domain.

The agreement also covers training and educational co-operation as well as personnel exchanges.

The Irish Government particularly emphasised threats around critical subsea infrastructure, with Taoiseach Micheal Martin stating the two countries were “interdependent” on subsea cables for energy and communication connections.

In an apparent 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.”

Asked if it would involve the British Navy patrolling Irish waters, he said he “would not get into specifics” but “it’s not patrolling”.

The MoU’s closer liaison between defence and naval organisations, coupled with a new framework on subsea infrastructure, will see a “co-ordinated response mechanism for addressing major subsea communication cable incidents” that might affect the two countries.

This will include a series of live exercises and simulations of critical incidents, starting in September.

The countries have also agreed joint initiatives on seabed mapping, as the UK and Ireland accelerate ambitions for offshore energy infrastructure.

Ms McEntee insisted the MoU makes clear that each country’s “territorial integrity” and, in Ireland’s case, neutrality is “fully respected”.

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 would see more UK military ships and planes in Irish waters and skies, Ms McEntee did not rule out 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.

“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 co-operation.

“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 was “appropriate” and “already happening”.

The minister said it was important for Ireland to increase co-operation with other countries to mitigate risks, adding that she supports increased defence spending.

“I think we need to spend more on defence – we are spending more on defence, a 55% increase in the most recent capital plan and 43% increase in our current spending.

“But 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 partners were “bringing something to the table”.

She said Ireland working with the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force did not threaten Irish neutrality or require constitutional change.

The last MoU was signed in 2015 and the newly signed document will be laid before respective parliaments “in due course”.