Member's statement: Republic of Ireland: Defence and Security Concerns

Member's statement by Dr Steve Aiken OBE on 16 March 2026.

MLA

Dr Steve Aiken OBE

Party at the time

Ulster Unionist Party

Date

16 March 2026

Type

Member's statement

Business

Members' Statements

Heading

Republic of Ireland: Defence and Security Concerns

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5448326

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Last week, along with our party leader, I was involved in talks with our Prime Minister and, separately, with the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence, Helen McEntee TD. We raised with both of them the very real concerns about the lack of defence and security provisions of our Southern neighbour. Those concerns have recently been further exemplified by the Iranian cyberattacks on the US medtech company Stryker; the Russian drone incursions when President Zelenskyy's aircraft was trying to land at Dublin Airport; the movement of Russia's grey and dark fleet ships travelling unmonitored through Ireland's extensive but unpatrolled exclusive economic zone; the highly suspicious movements of the Yantar, the Russian navy's main underwater research ship, near and above sensitive data, power and gas cables and pipes; and the cyberattack that brought down the Irish health system, which, again, was attributed to criminal gangs controlled by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB). Irish sea, subsea, airspace and cyberspace are wide open for exploitation or worse. That is a very real concern for us because, for instance, our integrated single electricity market (ISEM) — our electricity market and system — is controlled from Dublin. Our agribusiness relies a lot on just-enough, just-in-time access to Irish business and data sharing. We have to be aware that any loss of gas to the Irish Republic will result in rapid and catastrophic failure of its electricity grid. There simply is not enough interconnection to stabilise the Irish grid, especially with the very high preponderance that they have of supplying power-hungry data centres. It was good to see that, on Friday, the Irish recognised their vulnerabilities and reached out to the United Kingdom to formally ask it to take responsibility for the security of Irish seas and airspace. It could be surmised, although I have no knowledge of it, that the cyberdefensive power of GCHQ in Cheltenham has also been requested. Keeping the Irish secure is of interest to us. A strand 2/3 issue of the Belfast Agreement is something that we should keep an eye on. However, we also believe that the United Kingdom should be properly compensated for that. Anyone who has been following recent news stories will know that both the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force have been hard stretched. It is right and proper that, if our forces are deployed to defend Ireland, which has, indeed, freeloaded on its commitment for decades, we should be paid. After all, Ireland keeps telling us that it is in robust fiscal health — no doubt because it has not previously paid for any defence. At the very least, Ireland should drop its court case on legacy against the United Kingdom. Why would it sue the UK over its use of the military whilst, at the exact same time, beg the UK to save its industry and the EU presidency later this year from Putin and his acolytes' interference? Hypocrisy should not be a basis for cooperation in these dangerous times.

506 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:08 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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