'Ireland needs to boost pitiful levels of defence spending', says DUP leader

DUP leader Gavin Robinson has criticised spending levels in Ireland. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA

Ireland needs to boost its “pitiful” level of defence spending, DUP leader Gavin Robinson has said.

Mr Robinson said Ireland had relied on Britain for defence for “too long”, adding that the Irish navy is “not worth mentioning”.

This week Taoiseach Micheál Martin is due to take part in a EU leaders’ summit where European security and defence will be discussed.

Simon Harris is to amend Ireland’s ‘triple lock’ on the deployment of Defence Forces (Brian Lawless/PA)

Tánaiste Simon Harris has indicated he is to introduce draft legislation to amend Ireland’s "triple lock" on the deployment of Defence Forces peacekeepers overseas.

The deputy premier insisted the proposed changes would not impact Ireland’s military neutrality.

During a press conference on Monday, Mr Robinson was asked if Ireland needed to contribute more towards the defence of Europe.

He said: “They have to put more money in their own defence.

“For far too long the Republic of Ireland Government have rested on the defence of the United Kingdom.

“They have no radar cover, they have no air support, they have a navy not worth mentioning.

“They can’t defend themselves, let alone anybody else.”

He added: “They have a requirement and a need to step up to the plate before they think about international contributions, about actually defending their own nation.

“They will talk in the next number of weeks about how proud they are, and in the Dail they are now considering legislative change to remove the triple lock which prevents the Irish Republic from ever deploying their armed forces.

“But they need to get back to basics and they need to provide some resource to allow them to do anything other than what they are doing currently, because so far it has been pretty pitiful.”