Ireland urged to increase military budget

A view of Dublin the capital of Ireland (illustrative image).

AP - Peter Morrison

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

A report by the Irish Defense Force Commission urges the government to increase the country's defense budget, currently the lowest in the European Union.

Russia is indeed conducting exercises off the southern coast of the island, which is seen as a provocation, given the context with Ukraine. 

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With our correspondent in Dublin,

It would take 24 fighter jets to protect Irish airspace compared to none today.

's defense budget

is the lowest in the European Union.

In the event of foreign air intrusion, an agreement provides for the intervention of British forces, but the Irish no longer want to rely solely on their allies to protect themselves.

The government is therefore encouraged to reinforce its naval fleet with twelve additional ships to cover its entire exclusive economic zone.

was initially to be held

, forced to move them in the face of the discontent of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and some furious Irish fishermen. 

But the problem is that to sail these boats or fly these planes would require 10,000 more men and Ireland faces a severe shortage of personnel.

Result: for the experts, Ireland is too engaged in peacekeeping missions abroad… They therefore urge the government to increase its budget by at least 50% per year. 

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• Ireland

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• Defense

• European Union

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