Despite increasing the budget for the Defence Forces, the Government remains “very clear” that Ireland will not join a European military alliance, Helen McEntee has said.
In Budget 2027, the Department of Defence was allocated just over €1.6 billion, which Minister McEntee described as “the largest budget” in recent history, adding that this year’s “significant increase” follows a large one in Budget 2026.
Defence spending now represents 0.2% of GDP - which is still one of the lowest figures on the European continent.
“Our investment in key things like our radar programme, helicopters and equipment that our defence forces need [has increased] by about 13%,” Minister McEntee told Newstalk Breakfast.
“We've increased our current spending - which is not related to pay; we've increased that by about 15.5%.
“And then we've increased our pay by about 6.9%, so that brings us to the 10.5%.”
Helen McEntee. Picture by: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie.Members of the NATO military alliance have committed to spending 3.5% of their GDP on defence by 2035; with a further 1.5% earmarked for the protection of critical infrastructure and civilian preparedness for war.
However, Minister McEntee said Ireland does not have an overall target for defence spending in mind.
“What we've said is we want to continue to increase significantly our investment in the number of defence force personnel,” she said.
“And we've set a target of 11,500 and this is through a review that was done a couple of years ago.
“So, we did the Commission on the Defence Forces; it set out how many we should have, what type of capabilities, how we need to change and adapt to the types of changing security environment that we're in now.
“And that's exactly what we're doing.”
A NATO flag in Rukla, Lithuania. Picture by: dpa picture alliance / Alamy. When questioned whether this means Ireland is inching towards joining a broader European military alliance, Minister McEntee replied “no” and said that remains the “very clear position” of the Government.
“When we talk about our neutrality, we're very clear we're not going to join,” she said.
“I don't think we should a military alliance, but that doesn't mean we don't talk to other people.
“People talk about wars and conflicts and we're going to be sending people off to Ukraine and we're going to be sending people off everywhere else.
“When you think of people's security and safety, it comes in many different forms - so, our economic security is extremely important.”
In her State of the Union address to the European Parliament last month, Ursula von der Leyen warned that Europe should be “under no illusions” about the threat posed by Russia to member states.
“Hybrid threats facing Europe are less and less hybrid and less and less threats,” she said.
“Cyberattacks and sabotage, arson and drone incursions, they are ramping up every day.
“So, as the threat level climbs, so must Europe's preparedness.”
The Commission President has proposed a new Emergency Security Protocol, which member states could trigger if under threat.
Main image: Helen McEntee at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel, Dublin. Picture by: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie.
