Martin Daly Urges Stronger EU Defence Amid Hybrid Warfare
Martin Daly warned that Ireland faces hybrid warfare and repeated cyber attacks and called for strengthened cooperation with the European Union's common security and defence policy and PESCO. He argued Ireland must invest in sea, air and radar defences and significantly ramp up cyber security while remaining militarily neutral.
He described a changed world with an unstable Europe, an aggressive Russia and growing evidence that the United States may not be a reliable security partner. He warned that discussions about Europe's future risk happening over the heads of EU partners.
He urged Ireland to increase and strengthen cooperation under the EU common security and defence policy and under PESCO. He said Ireland needs to strengthen its sea and air defences and improve radar capability.
He stated that Ireland has been attacked repeatedly, citing the HSE cyber attack and a small business in the west that was hacked and paid thousands in ransom and recovery costs. He warned that Ireland is in a hybrid warfare situation and must take cyber security seriously.
He acknowledged that Ireland is militarily neutral but not neutral in other respects, and pointed to neutral countries such as Finland and Sweden that developed proper defence systems. He said Ireland has been complacent and must "grow up and mature" to take defence and security seriously.
He welcomed the continuation of policies to cooperate with the European Union and strengthen that relationship, while urging substantial national investment in defence and cybersecurity.
Security assessment
He described a changed world with an unstable Europe, an aggressive Russia and growing evidence that the United States may not be a reliable security partner. He warned that discussions about Europe's future risk happening over the heads of EU partners.
EU cooperation and capability upgrades
He urged Ireland to increase and strengthen cooperation under the EU common security and defence policy and under PESCO. He said Ireland needs to strengthen its sea and air defences and improve radar capability.
Cyber threats and hybrid warfare
He stated that Ireland has been attacked repeatedly, citing the HSE cyber attack and a small business in the west that was hacked and paid thousands in ransom and recovery costs. He warned that Ireland is in a hybrid warfare situation and must take cyber security seriously.
Neutrality and lessons from others
He acknowledged that Ireland is militarily neutral but not neutral in other respects, and pointed to neutral countries such as Finland and Sweden that developed proper defence systems. He said Ireland has been complacent and must "grow up and mature" to take defence and security seriously.
Policy endorsement
He welcomed the continuation of policies to cooperate with the European Union and strengthen that relationship, while urging substantial national investment in defence and cybersecurity.
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Transcript
I think the meeting of the 3rd of February is part of a series of meetings that are extremely important for Ireland in terms of planning our security and defence. It is a changed world. We have an unstable Europe. We have an aggressive Russia. We have, unfortunately, it would bear since the 3rd of February, evidence that perhaps the US is not going to be a reliable security partner in the future. There are concerns that the future of Europe is being discussed over the heads of the European partners in the European Union and in the UK by Russia and the United States. And that's of increasing concern. I think it's extremely important that Ireland increases and strengthens its cooperation under the common security and defence policy and under PESCO with the European Union. We do realise that we are militarily neutral, but we're not a neutral country, and we do need to have this debate. We need to strengthen our own defences, both in sea and in the air. We also need to strengthen our capability with radar, but we need to also invest heavily in countering cyber security. For people who feel that Ireland isn't at war with anyone, we have been attacked repeatedly by Russia. We've been clear about the attack on the HSE. I know a practice in the west of Ireland, a small business that was attacked and hacked, and it cost them thousands of euros in ransom and in putting their systems right. So we are, unfortunately, in a hybrid warfare situation where Ireland is under attack. So I think we need to take our position seriously. Most neutral countries who were neutral, such as Finland and Sweden and that, took their neutrality seriously, developed proper defence systems in their countries. We have been complacent, and we need to grow up and mature and take our defence and security seriously. And I'm delighted that you are continuing the policy of cooperating with the European Union and strengthening that relationship. Thank you. Deputy Daly, I agree with you in terms of what you have said. We do need to strengthen our own defences and our own capability. It's interesting what Deputy Daly said in relation to a small business in your constituency. Some people in the house are oblivious to the level of cyber security attacks on the private sector in Ireland, and many companies are spending a lot of money on their cyber security defences because it's very, very disruptive. Universities have been hit. The HSE was paralysed during COVID by the Conti Group, which was a Russian group within Russia, and did enormous damage. And since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the level of cyber attacks in Europe has gone up exponentially, exponentially since then. And we will be, the hybrid warfare in particular, a lot of the Baltics are experiencing a lot of hybrid warfare at the moment, and a lot of disruption. And they believe, fundamentally, that's emanating from Russia. And it would just make the point that the consistent theme in European meetings for the last year is the existential threat that Russia poses to European states.