The Irish government has requested assistance from the Royal Navy and the French Navy for the informal meetings of EU defense and foreign ministers, which begin on Monday in County Wicklow, south of Dublin. Two frigates are to use their radar systems to monitor the airspace over the county and the adjacent sea area. However, shortly before the conference dates, it emerged that this military protection is only partially compatible with the Republic of Ireland’s neutrality status.
The Irish army comprises around 8,000 soldiers and regularly takes part in United Nations peacekeeping missions. The navy, however, has a significant backlog: of eight seagoing patrol vessels, only four can be kept operational due to personnel shortages. The naval force has 833 personnel, against a target of just under 1,100, which is expected to grow to nearly 1,800 within two and a half years.
Defense spending has risen by eleven percent this year to 1.5 billion euros; by the end of the decade, the budget is expected to grow to 1.7 billion euros. Ireland recognizes the protection of undersea cables connecting Europe with North America in its territorial waters as a new task, but is inadequately equipped for it.
Source: www.faz.net
