Ireland is “increasingly susceptible” to cyber attacks, espionage and attacks on our critical infrastructure — both by hostile states and criminal gangs — according to a new Government defence assessment.
The Defence Policy Review 2024 — the first since 2019 — puts maritime security top of the priority list for the State, with cyber and hybrid security other key areas.
The review, published by the Department of Defence, said Ireland’s security environment was undergoing “profound change”, with events overseas having a “major impact” on Ireland, not least as a result of Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine.
The document says Ireland, as an EU member state with close ties to our EU partners and to the US and the UK, “faces similar threats and challenges” to those other countries.
“Our geographic position and policy of military neutrality no longer minimise threats posed by malign actors,” it says.
It said Ireland “is more vulnerable” than in the past to these hostile states and groups, willing to use hybrid tactics to “exploit and undermine” Ireland’s security and democracy.
It says Ireland will continue its policy of military neutrality while playing an international security role in support of the multilateral system and “in support of European defence and security”.
The strategy condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and also its “irresponsible nuclear rhetoric”.
It adds: “Closer to our own shores, Russian naval activity in the North Atlantic also points to the potential for maritime or hybrid attacks against critical infrastructure.”
In the foreword, Defence Minister Micheál Martin said there was a “clear focus” on maritime security, given the level of threat and Ireland’s “responsibility” to Europe.
The report expands: “Give the extensive sea and air lines of communication, fishery protection responsibilities, undersea cables and energy production capacity and infrastructure, maritime security represents a priority action for the Government, not least given the increase in suspicious activity by foreign militaries in Ireland’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in recent times.”
It adds: “The security of undersea fibre optic cables, which represent vital but vulnerable components of the international communications infrastructure, are a particularly important feature in this regard, while the security of energy infrastructure is also of critical importance given Ireland’s island status and plans in relation to offshore renewables. The use of Ireland’s maritime domain as a conduit for illicit activities by organised crime groups also poses a risk in this domain.”
It said the Government remained committed to implementing the second of three investment options (LOA 2) suggested by the Commission on the Defence Forces, published in February 2022, before Russia’s full invasion of Ukraine.
The Government has committed to increase spending to €1.5bn (in 2022 prices) by 2028 under LOA 2.
The report acknowledges defence spending in Ireland “remains behind similar states”, many of which have increased defence spending following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In addition to maritime security and European security, the report says other key elements of the 2024 review are a new military radar system and a commitment that defence funding increases “must be maintained”.
The review is the first conducted since the White Paper on Defence Update 2019, which was a follow-on policy document to the White Paper on Defence 2015.
The current strength of the Defence Forces is 7,477 — compared to 9,140 personnel at the end of 2015 and 8,659 personnel at the end of 2019.