TÁNAISTE AND MINISTER for Defence Simon Harris told reporters today that a “significant increase” in defence spending will not compromise Ireland’s neutrality. 

Speaking in Munich, where Harris is attending the Munich Security Conference alongside Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Harris said, “I think there’s no doubt that all European countries, including Ireland, are going to need to spend more on defense and security.

“That statement doesn’t in any way, shape or form affect our longstanding policy of military neutrality, but I think people in Ireland and indeed people right across Europe, know that the threats are real, know that Ireland isn’t immune from it,” he said. 

Harris made his comments following Martin stating the need to increase Ireland’s spending on defence.

Ireland’s defence budget for 2024 amounted to around €1.29 billion. Last week, Martin said he believes there will be “pressure” for increases in the European budget for military and defence in the coming years but said that it will not impact Ireland’s neutrality stance. 

“I believe in the term of this government we are going to need to see a significant increase in our spending on our own security infrastructure, which of course includes our defense forces,” Harris said today.

He added that the government will review the capital allocations and publishing a revised national development plan in July.

“But we already have, I suppose, increased defense spending from albeit a low base,” he continued. “We do need to do more and I think particularly more in relation to investing in infrastructure and indeed crucially investing in the people in our defence forces too.”