More cooperation with other countries on maritime protection and investment in navy urged

Laura Brien incoming CEO, Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, Robert McCabe, Institute for Peace and Security, Coventry University, and Christian Bueger, Professor of International Relations, University of Copenhagen, at the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy at University College, Cork.

Surveillance and protection of our maritime resources will have to be beefed up considerably in light of possible attacks on subsea fibreoptic and electricty cables and because the country plans to harvest much more offshore renewable energy.

However, we cannot currently rely on our navy to do this on its own as it is so depleted of vessels and personnel. 

It cannot possibly cover our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 437,500km sq of water and keep a watchful eye on fibreoptic cables off our coast which transmit 97% of global communications between North America and Europe.

Expert speakers argued at the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy in Cork for much more cooperation with other countries on our maritime protection, but heard that since the start of the year, there have been 39 days the navy could not send ships out on patrol because it did not have people to crew them.

The information was obtained from the government by Sinn Féin Cork North Central TD Thomas Gould.

He said it is all very well talking about what should be done in the future, but the Government must quickly provide the navy with major investment.

“We need to start looking after our Defence Forces first, then we can have a citizens’ assembly [to discuss our neutrality] and then a referendum [if required],” he said.

Last year, Irish fishermen made international headlines when they objected to the Russian navy holding live firing exercises off the south-west coast in the Irish EEZ. The Russians then decided to move the exercise.

However, there has been other Russian activity in recent years over the fibreoptic cable and concerns have been raised they might blow it up.

Brendan Flynn, school of political science and sociology at the University of Galway, pointed out that recently the chairman of the Russian national security council said it is legitimate to attack sub-marine cables.

Mr Flynn said if Russia was crazy enough to invade Ukraine it was capable of doing this to cause economic chaos in the West.

Panelists Robert McCabe and Christian Bueger, at the forum. 

He agreed with Mr Gould the navy needs more investment, but added there should be more collaboration between Ireland, the EU, and Nato.

Mr Flynn argued several neutral EU countries have partnership agreements with Nato and added the use of more drones for surveillance in Irish waters is an option which should be looked at.

Laura Brien, incoming chief executive of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, said private companies investing in offshore windfarms will want to see them “risk-managed”. 

She said that post-2030 a lot of cables will have to be laid offshore to harvest electricity from the turbines and export it on to other countries and these will need protection.

Robert McCabe, director of the Maritime Security Programme at the Institute for Peace and Security at Coventry University, said Ireland has a history of not taking maritime security seriously.

He suggested the navy is far too small and needs improved technology to make it more effective. He said a proper presence at sea acts as a deterrent, but, like others on the panel, said we need to look to cooperate with other countries on maritime security.

He also said cooperation between the State and maritime energy companies is currently on an ad hoc basis and must be improved.

Meanwhile, Christian Bueger, professor of international relations at the University of Copenhagen, maintained the damage caused to the Nordstream2 gas pipeline in the Baltic was a wake-up call to potential further attacks during conflicts on marine infrastructure. 

He said the seas off our coast will become economically and environmentally valuable in the years ahead — for wind energy, hydrogen extraction, and carbon dioxide storage — therefore it is vital they are protected.

Mr Bueger said maritime surveillance needs to be increased and a discussion may have to be had on who should pay for it and infrastructure protection may mean less profits for private companies.