Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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104. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence whether he has discussed the possibility of an EU defence union with any of his international counterparts since taking office. [12129/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I have not had any discussions with international counterparts on the topic of an 'EU Defence Union'.

Decisions with regard to security and defence remain a national competence within the EU. It is the prerogative of Member States to make arrangements which serve their own national defence needs, in lreland's case our traditional policy of military neutrality is characterised by our non-participation in any military alliance.

The legally-binding Protocols attaching to the Lisbon Treaty state that, “The Treaty of Lisbon does not affect or prejudice Ireland’s traditional policy of military neutrality". The Constitution provides a further safeguard on this issue where Article 29(4)(9) states, “ The State shall not adopt a decision taken by the European Council to establish a common defence pursuant to Article 42 of the Treaty on European Union where that common defence would include the State". This Constitutional safeguard was inserted in 2002 at the time of the Nice Referendum and was reconfirmed in 2009 following the Lisbon Treaty Referendum, and Ireland's position in this regard is well understood by our EU counterparts.