An operation which saw a ship carrying cocaine seized off the coast of Ireland was part of a pan-European intelligence operation.
Some €157 million worth of the drug was seized from a container ship off the Cork coast on Tuesday - the largest drug seizure in the history of the State.
Warning shots were fired by Army Rangers as they boarded the vessel during an operation which also involved the Irish Naval Service, Revenue Customs and Gardaí.
The ship, the MV Matthew, has been brought to Cork Harbour.
An Irish Naval Vessel circles the Panama-registered MV Matthew off the Irish coast. Image: X/@defenceforcesThe operation is thought to be linked to a fishing trawler detained off the coast of Wexford on Monday.
Tánaiste and Defence Minister Micheál Martin told Newstalk Breakfast he was made aware of the operation on Monday.
"This was part of a pan-European, collective intelligence operation," he said.
"It underlines the importance of cooperation on an ongoing basis both internationally and indeed domestically.
"Domestically what you're witnessing here both within the military - the Joint Defence Forces, the Air Corps, the Naval Services and the Army Rangers - all working seamlessly together.
"Beyond that of course the Garda Síochána, the Customs Service coordinating with our Defence Forces.
"That is the optimal way to deal with drug trafficking, to deal with counter terrorism and to deal with other challenges that the State faces."
'Investing very significantly'
Mr Martin has said the Government is continuing to invest in the Armed Forces.
"We're investing very significantly in equipment and infrastructure within our Army," he said.
"We're significantly increasing and improving and modernising our equipment, our ships and indeed our aircraft.
"[Investment] will continue in line with advices from our military leadership and working with the Department of Defence and working with Government as a whole."
Further recruitment
Mr Martin said Tuesday's operation should be celebrated for what it was.
"I think yesterday was a very successful operation, so let's not ignore it," he said.
"I accept the challenges, we're very well aware of the recruitment challenges and the retention challenges... but yesterday spoke very well in terms of the air surveillance that we had in place, the quality of the newer aircraft that we've purchased.
"The bravery and the training of our personnel that we have; and we have improved rates of pay and conditions in terms of new recruits."
An Irish Air Corps helicopter hovers above the Panama-registered MV Matthew off the Irish coast. Image: X/@defenceforcesMr Martin said he wants to see a 'radical' approach to further recruitment.
"We're flat-out in terms of newer recruitment approaches, and I've asked for a radical look in terms of how we recruit more and more younger people into our Defence Forces," he said.
"I'm a very strong advocate for stronger and stronger European cooperation on counter-terrorism, on counter-drug trafficking and in terms of inter-operability and sharing intelligence," he added.
