Harris: Maritime alliance 'won't undermine Ireland's neutrality'
The Irish government said CISE plays a crucial role in increasing awareness of maritime activities and improving responses to growing threats at sea, including physical and cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure, drug trafficking and other illegal activities.Ireland is joining the group at a time when the country is also establishing its first national maritime security strategy.Harris said: "I am confident that there are considerable benefits from participation in this important initiative, which is a key enabler for our Maritime Security Strategy, helping to safeguard our maritime domain, boost our resilience and helping us to contribute with partners at an EU level."
Neutrality is 'best defence'
Ireland's main opposition party, Sinn Féin, has raised concerns about the decision.The party's defence spokesperson, the TD (Teachta Dála) Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, said, the minister "must ensure that this sharing of information does not impact in any way on Ireland's neutrality."Mr Ó'Laoghaire has also said that the matter has not had "the constitutionally and legally bare minimum level of scrutiny or even oversight from the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament)".He added: "I will be requesting that the Oireachtas Committee on Defence call on the Tánaiste to attend a meeting in order to outline the details of this arrangement and similar arrangements, and to address concerns that such arrangements are further eroding Irish neutrality."Irish neutrality allows Ireland to play a positive and constructive role in global affairs, it is our best defence."
'Not about joining a military alliance'
Harris has insisted that the decision does not undermine Irish neutrality.He said it's a voluntary information sharing arrangement and is not about joining "any sort of military alliance".The CISE network is overseen by the European Commission with the aim of sharing information around a range of issues such as maritime safety and security, border control, the marine environment, fisheries control, trade, economic interests, and law enforcement and defence.The decision of the Irish Defence Forces to join the group comes at a time of increasing awareness in the country about potential threats to critical infrastructure including transatlantic communication cables and pipelines along the seabed off the Irish coast.
Ireland's small naval patrol fleet
There are concerns about the potential risk of sabotage by hostile states or international criminals.The challenges have been exacerbated by what many observers now regard as persistent problems around the operation of Ireland's small naval patrol fleet as well as difficulties around the recruitment of personnel into the navy.The new Irish government says improvements to maritime surveillance is now "a national defence policy priority".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Flimsy fence protects air base set for Britain's new nuclear-armed jets
The flimsy barrier is 300 metres from the runway at RAF Marham, Norfolk. Our revelation comes just weeks after protesters were arrested for causing £7million of damage to aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire An airbase set to house the RAF's nuclear-armed jets is protected by a five-foot wooden fence. The flimsy barrier is 300 metres from the runway at RAF Marham, Norfolk. Our revelation comes just weeks after protesters were arrested for causing £7million of damage to aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The fence at RAF Marham can be accessed by five gaps in a hedge in a farmer's field. We visited the spot this week and stood there for 30 minutes but no security guard came to check on us. The rest of the base is surrounded by 18-foot barbed-wire fences. Last night Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former army colonel and nuclear weapons expert, said: 'It seems incongruous that at the base for our stealth fighters there is only a picket fence, which a small child could vault, as protection. When our new tactical nuclear bombers, the F-35As, arrive at RAF Marham, a wooden fence is almost encouraging terrorists to 'have a go'.' RAF Marham is the home of 617 Squadron 'The Dambusters' who fly the F-35B Lightning multi-role stealth fighter. A month ago Keir Starmer announced the government was buying at least 12 American-made F-35A fighter-bombers that can carry nuclear weapons as well as conventional ones at an estimated cost of around £700million. At a Nato summit in The Hague, the Prime Minister said the purchase was a 'response to a growing nuclear threat'. Downing Street said the move was 'the biggest strengthening of the UK's nuclear posture in a generation'. It is the first time the RAF will be able to carry nukes since the 1990s. The move comes at a time of growing global insecurity – and as the PM and his European and Canadian allies scramble to convince Donald Trump they are serious about defending Europe, rather than relying on the US. Colonel de Bretton-Gordon added: 'I applaud the design to get a tactical nuclear deterrent but the protection of these aircraft is as important as the aircraft themselves'. A government spokesperson said: ''We take security extremely seriously and operate a multi-layered approach to protect our sites, including fencing, patrols and CCTV monitoring. Following the incident at Brize Norton, we are urgently reviewing security and have implemented a series of enhanced security measures at all sites. After years of hollowing out and underfunding of the armed forces, the Strategic Defence Review concluded that we need to invest more, backed by the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War.'
BreakingNews.ie
3 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Harris backs idea to hold national day of solidarity in support of Palestinians
Tánaiste Simon Harris has supported an idea for Ireland to hold a national day of solidarity in support of the people of Gaza. The Fine Gael leader said a proposal for a national day of solidarity was a 'sensible and a good idea', adding he will talk to colleagues on how to make it happen. Advertisement He was responding to a letter written by Michael Cush, which appeared in the letters page of The Irish Times on Thursday. The letter said that the Government has been 'brave and consistent' in its condemnation of atrocities and Israel's actions against Gaza, but that the people of Ireland are 'frustrated'. He said that people feel helpless to prevent it. 'If the Government were to call a national day of protest, making clear that it was a condemnation of atrocities in Gaza, not of Israel's right to self-determination or self-defence, the turnout would likely be enormous,' the letter added. Advertisement 'Other nations might follow suit. Some good might be achieved. At the very least, Ireland and the Irish people would have done the right thing and could not be accused of standing idly by.' Posting a picture of the letter, Mr Harris said on his Instagram account that the people of Ireland stand with the people of Palestine. 'We stand for human rights, for international law, for a two state solution, for aid to flow, for hostages to be released. We stand for peace. We stand for an end to genocide,' he added. 'The suggestion for a national day or moment of solidarity made by Michael Cush in the letter is sensible and a good idea. Advertisement 'It could be powerful if many countries did it together. I will now talk to colleagues on how to make this happen.' The United Nations and experts have said that Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, with the World Food Programme (WFP) saying that almost a third of people in Gaza are not eating for days. The WFP said the crisis has reached new and 'astonishing levels of desperation'.
Daily Record
7 hours ago
- Daily Record
Hundreds of Donald Trump protesters march in Edinburgh and Aberdeen against US President's visit
A wave of protests have been organised this afternoon with many angry at the arrival of the President. Donald Trump protesters have begun to march in Edinburgh and Aberdeen to oppose the US President's visit to Scotland this weekend. The 79-year-old touched-down at Prestwick Airport at around 8pm on Friday ahead of a five-day private visit to his luxury golf resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire. A meeting is scheduled with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is understood to be making the trip north on Monday. However, Trump - a well-known golf enthusiast - left Saturday free to play the vaunted Turnberry course and was spotted on the green this morning. Meanwhile, though, a wave of protests have been organised with many angry at the arrival of the president. The Stop Trump Coalition confirmed earlier this week that they were planning events in Aberdeen in the city centre and outside the US consulate in Edinburgh on Saturday at midday. Pictures taken this afternoon show hundreds of protests holding placards in the capital. Outside the US consulate people held up orange signs displaying the message "Stop Trump, Free Gaza". Others held handmade signs above their head with messages such as "Scotland hates Trump" and "No to trump". In Aberdeen a number of Palestine flags were seen being waved during the demonstration as protesters gathered at the Union Terrace Gardens. Others at the protests decided to poke fun at the president with signs saying "Get oot nasty little man baby" and "Keep orange in a can and out of the White House". It's understood there could also be protest activity around Turnberry and Menie, where Trump is expected to open a new 18-hole golf course named in honour of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, born on the Isle of Lewis. Earlier this week, Police Scotland's Assistant chief constable Emma Bond said the force will take a 'proportionate' approach to ensure people can protest safely. Activists say they are taking to the streets upon Trump's arrival to express 'widespread anger' over the president's policies. Connor Dylan, the organiser of the anti-Trump protests in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, told the Guardian: 'The vast majority of people in Scotland were already opposed to everything Trump stood for when he first visited as president. "As we've learned more and more about him and the way he governs, that attitude has only hardened. 'His politics – and those of the people around him – have only become more extreme since then, with once fringe ideas like mass deportations now part of mainstream American politics and being effectively exported to the UK and other European countries by far-right allies.' Fellow organiser Alena Ivanova added: 'There's a widespread anger and determination to come out from people across Scotland and calling on our elected leaders not to give Trump the acknowledgement and welcome he wants.' Saturday will be the first real test of Police Scotland during the visit as it looks to control the demonstrations in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, as well as any which spring up near to the president's course. The force has asked for support from others around the UK to bolster officer numbers, with both organisations representing senior officers and the rank-and-file claiming there is likely to be an impact on policing across the country for the duration of the visit. First Minister John Swinney - who is also set to meet with the president during his time in Scotland - has urged Scots to protest "peacefully and within the law".
