EU white paper aimed at building military strength 'unlikely' to boost Ireland

Critical requirements, including a primary radar system and naval sonar technology — recommended by the Commission on Defence Forces three years ago — are still years away from being acquired.

Tánaiste Simon Harris, who is the minister for defence and also for foreign affairs, stated last month he had asked his officials to “review” the timescales for certain actions. 

The European Commission launched its first white paper for European defence on Wednesday, including schemes to raise €800bn through loans and debt to assist EU countries acquire defence equipment.

The paper also proposes that member states “urgently pool” their efforts to fill gaps in their capabilities.

“Russia — already the most heavily armed European state by a huge distance — is now running a war economy,” the paper said.

“If Russia is allowed to achieve its goals in Ukraine, its territorial ambition will extend beyond. 

"Russia will remain a fundamental threat to Europe’s security for the foreseeable future.”

In addition to primary radar, linked air defence systems, and sonar, the Commission on Defence Forces recommended increasing the naval service to nine operational vessels. 

Last month, Mr Harris said the Government supported moving from the second commission option to the third option (LOA3) sometime after 2028.

Mervyn O’Driscoll, of the School of History in University College Cork, is not optimistic the EU white paper will assist the Government in procurement, stating : “At first glance, it’s unlikely to provide significant advantages for Ireland.

“It’s no secret that the country faces substantial and well-documented capability gaps and, unfortunately, proactive measures were not taken much sooner.

“In reality, Ireland will not be prioritised for the resources it needs in this framework. 

"The white paper primarily aims to address the needs of Nato members within the EU, and other priorities such as Ukraine.”

Rory Finegan, the deputy director of the Centre for Military History and Strategic Studies at Maynooth University, said: “While the Government has signalled a move towards [LOA3], the procurement aspect of same will be hard to achieve, certainly in the short term.

“We are a small player at the end of an increasingly frantic queue in the European defence procurement market.”

He said, as a non-member of Nato, Ireland “will not be viewed as a priority” for the industry, adding that there is “no magic wand” to acquiring military hardware.

Former Defence Forces’ officer Declan Power suggested that the Department of Defence consult the private sector to assist with procurement.

“For us, this is about cleaning up our own defence and seeing what is going on in our own backyard, in the sea, above and below, and in the air, developing that awareness picture and sharing it with neighbours,” he said.

 “Primary radar and sonar procurement needs to be sped up.”