TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR struck a defensive tone while speaking at the Munich Security Council 2024 today, taking issue with an assertion that Ireland is reliant on the UK’s armed forces for the protection of its territorial waters and undersea cables.

During a side panel event on neutrality, Varadkar was challenged that Ireland was in reality reliant on the UK’s armed forces in the protection of the seas and the protection of undersea cables.

One topic of the discussion was the idea of neutral countries are “freeriders” relying on other states for security. 

“In relation to protecting our seas, we have our own navy, it’s not as strong as it needs to be, and we’ve entered into agreements with Pesco and Nato’s Partnership for Peace which particularly relate to the cables that are around the island which are important to us, and also important to our neighbours,” the Taoiseach said. 

“I’m not aware of any particular UK intervention that’s helped us in that regard.”

He was responding to a question from Cambridge international relations professor Brendan Simms, who was in the audience. 

Varadkar was further challenged that it “falls to the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy in practice”.

The Taoiseach responded: “When has that actually occurred?

“When has there been an action or operation by the air force or the navy that has helped us?”

It was put to him that “everyone knows that in the case of a threat to those installations, that is the source of security which would be reverted to, just as is the case quite often in the instance of maritime safety, safety of people in difficulty and so on – and indeed the feeding of the 26 counties during the Second World War was guaranteed by the Royal Navy covering the convoys,” Simms said. 

“I don’t think what I’m saying is in any way controversial.”

Varadkar responded saying: “You’re saying in a hypothetical scenario this intervention by the Royal Navy or Royal Air Force may occur, to the best of my knowledge it has never occurred, and you’re suggesting that the Royal Navy or Royal Air Force would intervene in our territorial waters without our permission?”

It was put to him that the UK would likely intervene if there was a Russian incursion which also threatened its own security.

Varadkar responded: “That’s exactly the point, they would be doing it to protect themselves, not us.”

The Taoiseach also queried an assertion around the size of the Russian embassy in Ireland being connected with the proximity to UK territory in Northern Ireland.

Varadkar said there are 15 diplomats and 15 other staff at the Russian Embassy in Dublin, which he described as “big for a small country like Ireland but far from huge”.

The conference is regarded as the world’s leading forum on international peace and security and is attended by heads of state as well as policy experts and arms companies.

It is the first time a sitting Taoiseach has ever attended the event, with Varadkar’s office saying the visit is reflective of “just how seriously the Irish Government regards the current security situation in eastern Europe, Gaza and other parts of the world”.

The Taoiseach has said his focus is on how countries like Ireland can play a positive role on the world stage, “at a time when the world is becoming less stable and more dangerous”.

With reporting from Press Association