Taoiseach: Ireland to back EU move towards joint procurement of military hardware
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said there would need to be further 'discussion and reflection' on the EU’s changing approach to defence. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA
Ireland will back the EU’s move towards joint procurement of military hardware, the Taoiseach has said in Brussels.
Micheál Martin said there would need to be further “discussion and reflection” on the EU’s changing approach to defence, but the proposals submitted were “significant”.
The white paper on defence, published on Wednesday by the European Commission, includes schemes to raise €800bn through loans and debt to allow EU member states to acquire defence and military hardware.
It also contains proposals that would allow EU countries to jointly procure defence equipment.
As he arrived at the European Council meeting, Mr Martin would not speculate on plans by the EU’s High Representative, Kaja Kallas, which could see up to €40bn worth of military aid sent to Ukraine. It has been estimated that if the €40bn is agreed, Ireland could be asked to contribute as much as €1bn in non-lethal military aid to Ukraine.
Asked if he believed €40bn was a realistic figure, Mr Martin said it was “early days on that”. “There hasn’t been agreement on it so it could be a lower figure. I don’t really want to speculate on something that’s not firm,” Mr Martin said.
He added that he did not see agreement being reached on the Kallas proposals today. Mr Martin said Ireland has already taken a decision to allocate aid to Ukraine, due to funds being frozen by Hungary.
Tánaiste Simon Harris had already signalled Ireland’s willingness to provide hundreds of millions of euro worth of aid to Ukraine, saying that the cost of not paying in would be more significant on the “security of the European Union”.
Meanwhile, Mr Martin said that, in the wake of Israel’s resumption of the bombardment of Gaza, Ireland’s introduction of the Occupied Territories Bill would not affect Israel.
“I don’t think it’s going to impact on the immediate decisions of the Israeli government in respect of Gaza. I think that needs to be said,” the Taoiseach said.
“But what has to happen now is that as much pressure as possible from the European Union, the US and others, to say to Israeli to stop this bombing.”
Pressed on a timeline for the legislation, Mr Martin declined to provide a timeframe but said it would not be done before the end of the current Dáil session.
The Taoiseach said that EU leaders would be working on a wording on Gaza, which would deplore the “shocking bombing that has occurred over the last 48 hours”.
“The statements yesterday from Israeli leaders, particularly from [Foreign Affairs Minister Israel] Katz, seems to me to amount to collective punishment of the Palestinians within Gaza.
“It’s quite shocking, it needs to stop and Europe needs to stay stop.” He also called for the release of all hostages, as well as move to phase two of the ceasefire deal.
