Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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7. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will outline the way in which Ireland will balance its policy of military neutrality with increased engagement in EU defence co-operation during its 2026 EU Presidency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60416/25]

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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I ask the Tánaiste to outline the way in which Ireland will balance its policy of military neutrality with increased engagement in EU defence co-operation during the 2026 EU presidency, and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Burke very much for the question. It is really timely. The first thing I want to say is that Ireland is never going to recuse itself from conversations around defence and security because conversations around defence and security, as the Deputy rightly knows and advocates for, are not the same as conversations about changing Ireland's military neutrality, which we have no intention of doing. When I sit around tables at Europe, there are a number of other countries - not a majority; far from it - that are also militarily neutral. A country can be militarily neutral and take military and defence seriously. In fact, I would argue that there is a greater obligation on you to take the defence and security of your own country and people seriously when it is not militarily aligned as part of any military organisation or alignment.

Our Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026 is going to be a major national undertaking. It is a key focus for the work of Government because Ireland will have an opportunity to shape and manage the EU’s agenda for that six-month period. Within the European Union, it is accepted that security and defence is a national competence and that any decisions as regards EU defence arrangements, including any deepening of EU co-operation, does require unanimity. It is within this context that Ireland will balance our policy of military neutrality while holding the Presidency.

It is the prerogative of member states to make arrangements which serve their own national defence needs, which, in Ireland's case, is our policy of military neutrality, as characterised by our non-membership of military alliances and our non-participation in mutual defence arrangements. Holding the Presidency obviously will not change that policy.

Let me be clear, however, the Government remains committed to broadening and deepening our international security engagement as well as our domestic efforts to ensure the security of our country and to allow Ireland to contribute to efforts towards ensuring international peace and security. We are a strong proponent in this country of the important role the EU can play in support of international peace and security. It is essential, therefore, that Ireland remains fully engaged in all processes and contributes fully to the development of policy in order that we can influence its evolution and that our Defence Forces can continue to benefit from this engagement.

Our participation in EU defence initiatives will continue to be guided by a principles-based pragmatism, ensuring that any co-operation respects our sovereign decision-making and legal obligations and will be on a strictly voluntary, project-specific basis.

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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There are two issues I want to raise. One is in relation to the increase in numbers we require in our Naval Service. It is a big challenge. What progress can be made on that over the next 12 months? It is extremely important from our point of view and from a European point of view.

The second issue concerns a scenario where we had peace in Ukraine. While we all want it, and it would be great if it was in place prior to us taking over the Presidency of the EU, in relation to giving leadership, we would not be able to deploy our members of our Defence Forces there in a peacekeeping mission without a UN mandate. That then would leave us in a very difficult position. On one hand, we are giving leadership within the EU but on the other hand, there is not a mechanism for us to provide personnel to assist in a peacekeeping role in Ukraine should that arise.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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On the Naval Service, I am pleased to say I look forward to visiting Cork later this month and, hopefully, visiting Haulbowline with the Deputy. The latest figures available to me are that personnel in our Naval Service stood at 800 at the end of September, which is up from 719 at the end of last year. I am also pleased to say that at the end of September, we had received 2,357 applications for the Naval Service, which is an increase of more than 400 on what we received in the totality of last year. There is a big body of work to do, which I do not dispute in any way, in terms of our Naval Service. I have instructed the Defence Forces to provide me with a regeneration and growth plan for our Naval Service. It is encouraging to see those numbers in terms of recruitment, retention and applications into the Naval Service this year.

On Ukraine, the Deputy is right that Ireland can only partake in peacekeeping missions if they are mandated by the UN. We will not recuse ourselves from that conversation. One would imagine if there was to be peace that was agreed, perhaps that would be possible but I do not know. In the meantime, however, we are continuing to engage with the EU military assistance mission, EUMAM, initiative where we have been providing training to several hundred members of the Ukrainian defence forces.

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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It is an issue that is going to come up very much. If there is not peace in Ukraine by the time we hold the Presidency, the issue of Ukraine will be very much to the forefront in any EU discussions. We will then be required to provide leadership in that area. I think the Tánaiste will accept that it will be a challenge on the basis that no matter what happens, we cannot go in there and provide support and help without a UN mandate. As we all know, a number of countries have a veto in relation to any UN mandate and that has not happened for quite some time. We need to really have a discussion on what our role is in this whole area when we hold the Presidency. We need to plan for a number of different scenarios so that we can carefully manage it and at the same time provide the leadership that is required at European level.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Certainly, when we hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of next year, our priority from a foreign affairs point of view in relation to Ukraine will be to work very closely with the European Union and with international engagement processes, including with the United States. I intend to work very closely with Ms Kaja Kallas, our EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, in trying to bring peace to this horrific conflict. The Deputy is quite right that there is a huge amount of talk and effort put into trying to bring about peace. Unfortunately, that all looks somewhat like folly when we see Putin showing no interest in peace. I believe from a European Union point of view, and this will be Ireland's position, we need to continue to apply economic sanction on Russia to get Putin to change his nexus or his calculus in relation to his illegal aggression. Therefore, it is about continuing to work at a European level to try to maintain that European unity and solidarity in relation to Ukraine. Then, if we get to a point of peace, obviously, Ireland will be wanting to participate in conversations about how we can play a constructive role. However, I think the big challenge, if the war has not ended by then, is going to be to try to bring about peace and be a strong voice in terms of ending the conflict and using the levers at the EU's disposal to maximise that pressure.

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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I am sorry but there is just one final thing I want to mention and that is the respect that Ireland and the Irish Army has.

I have been in two conflict zones where the Irish Army was. It is important we build on and maintain that and work in particular at a European level on it.