Ireland’s government plots way forward for defence strategy
Funding for the Irish Defence Forces has been growing. (Photo: IDF)
Ireland finds itself outside of the norm when it comes to European security as an EU nation surrounded mostly by water and whose only land border is with a non-EU country. The Irish Government has been working to overcome the challenges the neutral country faces from having the smallest budget per capita and per GDP of all EU member states.
Just over two years ago, the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces (CoDF) was published and took a deep dive into the state of the Irish Defence Forces (IDF). The document was regarded by most as an honest inspection which showed a potential path forward for the country’s armed forces.
The report was the result of 13 months’ work during which the commission described its task as being to look at “the appropriate capabilities, structures and staffing…with a view to the immediate future and the uncertain period beyond 2030”.
Show me the money
The report focused on one of the most glaring aspects of
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