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Ray Lynam

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Defence Spending To Be Doubled In Coming Years As Ireland's Security "Hugely Vulnerable"

Friday, 29 April 2022 08:21

A midlands TD think the proposed increase in spending doesn't go far enough.

It's claimed Ireland is "hugely vulnerable" to security threats because of our Defence Forces spending. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney says Ireland is likely to increase its annual defence spending by at least €500 million in the coming years.

That would represent a 50 per cent increase on what's currently being spent. 

But Cathal Berry, Independent TD for Kildare-South and former army ranger, says the proposed increase in spending doesn't go far enough: 

Boosting Ireland's military spending by €500 million would still only be half of what other EU countries spend on defence, according to the former army ranger.

The rise in security funding would be significantly less than the most ambitious targets from the recent Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces report.

Deputy Berry says Ireland's neutrality leaves us vulnerable: 

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