Simon Coveney to recommend major rise in defence spending due to invasion of Ukraine
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Simon Coveney has said he intends to bring a memo to Cabinet shortly recommending a significant increase in Ireland's defence spending.
Speaking from Helsinki this morning, as Finland sits poised to join Nato, Mr Coveney, who holds the defence and foreign affairs portfolios, said discussions on military spending have been ramped up since the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces.
Finland, where up until a few months ago support for joining Nato stood at approximately 20%-25%, has now seen that support swell to 70%. In Finland's parliament of 200 members, only eight voted against joining Nato. The country applied for Nato membership on May 18.
“We've seen a huge shift in public support and political support because of what's happened in Ukraine and because of Russian aggression, and what that means for the future,” Mr Coveney said.
“Of course, the debate in Ireland is very different because I don't think the broader public in Ireland feels a direct threat from Russia to Irish sovereignty and security in the same way that is the case here in Finland.
"But undoubtedly, there is debate happening across the European Union, whether it's in Finland and Sweden, where I am today or indeed in many other countries, where there's a lot of discussion now around how the EU secures its future and protects its people and Ireland needs to be part of that debate."
Mr Coveney said he plans to bring a very significant memo to Government recommending a significant increase in expenditure on defence. "We now have very clear evidence on the back of the commission that reported on the capacity problems within the Defence Forces that we need to address."
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence said Ireland "needs to move ahead as well with an open mind I think on broader debates around what neutrality means today, versus what it might have meant 10 years ago or five years ago or even six months ago because that debate is changing.”
During his visit, Mr Coveney will meet with Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pekka Haavisto, Finland’s Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen, and Sweden’s Foreign Minister Ann Linde.
Mr Coveney’s team say he will use this opportunity to discuss Russia’s War of Aggression against Ukraine, the Security situation in Europe, Ireland’s Presidency of the UN Security Council and Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol.