Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris has admitted that Ireland is “lagging behind” in terms of defence spending internationally and that such an approach cannot continue.
The Minister said Ireland will commit to Level of Ambition 3 (LOA3), the highest level of ambition as set out by the Commission on the Defence Forces, which reported three years ago.
This will see an expanded Army, the establishment of a fleet of modern armoured vehicles for the Army, a military intelligence school and a corps of 300 troops dedicated to cybersecurity.
It will also lead to a 12-ship Irish Navy capable of offensive operations and a fleet of fighter aircraft.
Ireland has been repeated criticised internationally for spending just 0.2 per cent of its GDP on defence, the lowest amount in the OECD.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony of the 100th cadet class with the 12th potential officer class at the Curragh Camp in Co Kildare, Mr Harris said he was not “prepared to stand back and see Ireland lagging behind when it comes to defence spending.
“We must invest more in our personnel; but also in our capabilities so as to ensure we can do things like protect our critical undersea infrastructure or counter cyber and hybrid threats.”
Mr Harris said the process of increasing spending on defence will see Ireland get to Level of Ambition 2 in 2027 and 2028 and then to LOA3 because Ireland, as a neutral country, needs to provide more for its own defence.
Ireland, he stated, could not “recuse itself from the conversation” about providing peacekeepers in Ukraine in the event of an end to the conflict. He underlined that both he and Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Ireland will be “part of that conversation.
“I am making the point that the world has changed and that we can no longer presume that we are immune, in a way that perhaps past governments have presumed, from the threats that the world faces.
“There is war on the continent of Europe. The types of threats we face have changed and we need to make sure that we are prepared to protect and defend ourselves and play a contribution in terms of peacekeeping. We need to get with the 21st-century needs in terms of defence.”
Thirty-five members of the 100th cadet class and the 29 members of the 12th potential officers course (noncommissioned officers) were commissioned.
It is only the 12th time in the history of the State that a potential officer’s course has been run. This is available to those in the enlisted ranks seeking to become officers.
Mr Harris, who has just returned from Lebanon, praised the Irish personnel with the Unifil force.
Tensions in south Lebanon have escalated in recent days with exchanges of fires between Hizbullah and the Israeli army.
