A significant security operation has been put in place for the Irish presidency of the Council of Europe.
A British warship and a helicopter designed to hunt submarines were deployed off the coast of Co Wicklow as part of a security operation surrounding the meeting of EU defence ministers today.
According to The Irish Times, the Royal Navy ship was requested by Irish authorities to provide air defence during todays event.
The Irish Defence Forces do not have the capability to conduct long-range air defence operations independently. The British vessel must remain outside Irish territorial waters, following legal advice received by the Government that operating a foreign military ship within Irish waters would be unconstitutional.
After The Irish Times revealed the news that the Royal Navy Ship would be providing security for Ireland during the EU event, a number of people criticised the decision.
Conservative MP John Cooper wrote to UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, saying he was shocked that the ship must remain outside Irish territorial waters.
Cooper posted the letter he wrote to social media which read: “The insistence that foreign warships remain outside of Irish limits hampers their effectiveness. The Royal Navy is being asked to do a bad job. To add insult to injury, the British taxpayers are footing the bill for this bodge."
Helen McEntee, Minister for Foreign Affairs responded to the media coverage on the Irish State relying on UK and French forces to provide security.
McEntee said that there would be a “significant security operation in place throughout our presidency," and refused to comment any further on the matter.
“We have worked closely with international and European colleagues for many, many years on many security matters, and we’re no different to any other member state in that regard," she then added.
Speaking before the meeting of EU defence ministers in Druids Glen today, McEntee said that Ireland has in fact increased its defence spending in the past two years by 43 per cent.
“We’re also investing in our maritime space, and that is why I launched earlier this year a new maritime security strategy,” she said.
