‘Recent events should be a wake-up call to the threats to Ireland’s national security’

Amid threats ranging from Russia’s activities off our coast to espionage and radicalisation, there are growing concerns about the need to reform Ireland’s defence and security structures

It is nearly six years since the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland was set up to reform Ireland’s capabilities. But defence and security sources express concern at the lack of progress towards a robust structure including a plethora of agencies including the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána to face up to an increasingly complex and pressing range of threats.

In a couple of weeks, it will be six years since a Government expert body made a series of urgent recommendations on national security.

The Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland called for an overarching national security structure and for greater investment in An Garda Síochána’s security capabilities.