In the run up to the EU Presidency, Ireland’s apparent flaws in defence have remained at the forefront of concerns. 

With the Royal Air Force agreeing to assist Ireland if its airspace is threatened and the Defence Forces informing Gardaí they are unable to provide anti-drone security for EU Presidency meetings, these concerns seem to crystallise. 

Cathal Berry, Former Independent TD and former member of the Defence Forces joined Emmet Oliver on Newstalk Sunday to discuss how a ‘massive geopolitical risk was being accumulated’ in regards to Ireland’s defence and security. 

Mr Berry noted that the drone system Ireland has currently obtained, which is worth 17 million and has been purchased by the State, apparently has significant shortcomings. It allegedly cannot knock down drones fully and cannot be in two locations at once. 

Members of the Irish defence forces. Picture by: Alamy Live News

“This may sound extraordinary but our defence forces don’t have a single piece of counter-drone equipment at the moment”, he told Newstalk. 

“Even though the war in Ukraine has been ongoing for the past four years, we have a peacekeeping mission going on in Lebanon which is an active drone zone. Despite this, our military has absolutely no counter-drone equipment whatsoever which is a big concern. 

“We may have got some before July 1st because of the EU presidency but there is a big difference between getting equipment and being proficient in its use. That can’t really be learned overnight. The big concern is that even if the equipment arrives, we’ll be able to use it and use it properly.”

Asked who was in charge of anti-drone technology, Mr Berry said that while the Defence Forces has capable forces they have been consistently under-resourced over the last number of decades as they have very limited capability. 

Indeed, Defence Forces had an air defence regiment until 2012 which was made up of 200 troops in the Curragh. Those were armed with counter-drone equipment including, radars, surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft artillery. It was disbanded and dismantled completely in 2012 despite military protests. Gardai have a small capability for Dublin Airport and Cork Airport but nothing else. 

Mr Berry noted that this was a ‘big concern’ because of Ireland’s unique status in the European Union. As the country lacks any direct road or rail links to other European countries, it is uniquely reliant on its airports and airspace for EU summits and connections. 

He noted that this was one of the country's ‘key vulnerabilities’. 

The discussion then moved on to address a potential scenario of UK assistance should Irish airspace ever be compromised. 

The point was raised that the optics of such intervention would not reflect well on a sovereign nation state who has prided itself in independence for the last 100 years. 

A British Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft. Picture by: Christopher Furlong.

“Let’s remember that up to 1998, Ireland did have 6 subsonic jet interceptors. We had this capability when we were a much poorer country,” Mr Berry said. 

He added that over the last 15 years, the defence force’s capability has been diminished and in some cases completely dismantled. 

Drones, interference with subsea infrastructure and cyber attacks are the main three activities in Continental Europe if you look at the hybrid pattern of activity. 

In Ireland, however, the Navy is under-resourced, weapons on board ships are 50 years old. 

Mr Berry claimed that the navy doesn’t have the equipment to protect Ireland's subsea infrastructure. 

The former member of the Defence Forces said he observed a “massive risk being accumulated from a geopolitical point of view” in Ireland at the moment that was not being taken seriously. 

“Successive governments will have to accept their share of responsibility but successive opposition have also allowed this to happen.

Main Image: Members of the Irish Defence Forces. Picture by: Andy Gibson.