Defence row: DUP MP says Leo Varadkar's comments lack credibility after Taoiseach asks when the UK helped Ireland

The Republic of Ireland has defence forces, including a navy, but has retained a long standing position of being militarily neutral.

Leo Varadkar was challenged at the Munich Security Council that Ireland was in reality reliant on the UK’s armed forces in the protection of the seas and the protection of undersea cables.

Mr Varadkar responded: “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.

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

The DUP deputy leader Gavin Robinson said: “Leo Varadkar’s approach is the equivalent of me denying that the police protect my street because I’ve never had to call them to report a burglary at my house. Ireland’s defence spend is tiny compared to NATO member states, its aircraft are outdated and incapable of intercepting Russian fighter jets and its radar is unable to identify military jets when their transponders are switched off.

"Part of being good neighbours in the British Isles should be a willingness to look out for each other. It is bizarre that the Taoiseach would live in denial over the importance of UK defence to Ireland.

“Rather than tilt to left wing extreme voices who in the past have been part of the Vladimir fan club, Leo Varadkar should be working to strengthen alliances with his neighbours. It is foolish not to recognise that the defence of his own nation is under active political consideration in his country by realists who recognise the changing nature of threat and instability in the world.”

Mr 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".

Mr Varadkar said it was a hypothetical scenario.

Earlier this month, the Westminster think-tank, Policy Exchange, was critical of “persistent Irish security freeloading” amid rising international threats, and issued a report calling for the UK to increase its naval and air presence in Northern Ireland.

The report, backed by former defence secretaries Rt Hon Sir Michael Fallon KCB and Rt Hon Lord Robertson of Port Ellen KT, said that the present geopolitical challenges “require the UK to rediscover the strategic importance of Northern Ireland to its national security”.

The News Letter put the report to Mr Varadkar during a press conference at Stormont following the restoration of the executive. He said he had not had time to read the document, but added “I have read the summary and I don't agree with it you won't be surprised to hear and as a country and a government we take security and defence very seriously”.