Skip to main content
Normal View

Coastal Protection

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 March 2022

Thursday, 10 March 2022

Questions (244)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

244. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which it is opportune to generate discussion at European Council meetings on the need for the European Union to offer assistance towards Ireland’s coastal security. [4654/22]

View answer

Written answers

The EU and its Member States, including Ireland, have strategic interests in identifying and addressing security challenges linked to the sea.

In 2014, the EU launched a Maritime Security Strategy (EUMSS), defining maritime security as ‘a state of affairs of the global maritime domain, in which international law and national law are enforced, freedom of navigation is guaranteed and citizens, infrastructure, transport, the environment and marine resources are protected’. This launch was followed, in 2015, by an Action Plan to implement the EUMSS, and a revised Action Plan in 2018.

Ireland contributed to the revision process of the EUMSS Action Plan in 2018 through the Department of Defence, the Naval Service and the Department of Foreign Affairs. Council conclusions of June 2021 sought to engage with member states to see if the EUMSS and its Action Plan should be updated.  Member States agreed that updates could be provided due to factors that have emerged owing t the passage of time since publivation in 2014. Ireland contributed to this consultation. While it was decided to begin this work in December 2021, meaningful progress will not be made until the work on the Strategic Compass is concluded.  The recent Report of the Commission on Defence Forces recommends that Ireland should deepen its engagement with the implementation of the EU’s Maritime Security Strategy and consideration given to development of  a whole-of-government National Maritime Security Strategy and a National Aviation Security Strategy.

While defence remains a national competence, Ireland sees the value in Member States’ national maritime activities voluntarily feeding into greater EU cooperation and adding value where possible. Ireland is a member of the existing European naval maritime surveillance information-sharing network EDA MARSUR Project and is a participant on the Greek led PESCO project “Upgrade of Maritime Surveillance’ which aims to enhance maritime situational awareness Ireland is also observing on the PESCO project Maritime (Semi) Autonomous Systems for Mine Counter-Measures (MAS-MCM) which aims to deliver a  high level collaboration and delivery of semi-autonomous underwater, surface  and aerial technologies which can be used in a Mine Counter-Measures role. 

At European Council meetings, the topic of maritime security is frequently discussed, most recently at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Defence Format in November 2021, which I attended. That discussion focused on the EU Coordinated Maritime Presences (CMP) concept following the establishment of the Gulf of Guinea as a Maritime Area of Interest (MAI) by the Council on 25 January 2021.

The EU Coordinated Maritime Presence Concept aims to enhance the EU’s visibility through a coordination of the presence of EU Member State assets in areas of concern where there are ongoing activities which could constitute a threat to international peace and security.  The purpose of such a continuous presence is to support information gathering and analysis so as to develop greater situational awareness of key areas of maritime security interest, to support the security of States in the area of interest and to be able to counter illicit activities. The Maritime Coordinated Mechanism is distinct from CSDP missions and operations.

On 21st February 2022, the Council approved two sets of conclusions on the Coordinated Maritime Presences (CMP) concept, the first extending the implementation in the Gulf of Guinea for two years and the second establishing a new Maritime Area of Interest in the North-Western Indian Ocean. The Strategic Compass also contains a reference to the expansion of the Coordinated Maritime Presences Concept.

Given my regular engagement in EU discussions on the matter of Maritime Security, I do not see a need to request European Union assistance towards Ireland’s coastal security.

Top
Share