Ibec urges government to accelerate defence and security spending
Ibec, the group representing Irish businesses, has called on the government to increase investment in defence and security as global conflicts escalate.
The employers group said increased effort is required to ensure Ireland can protect itself and the businesses that operate here, adding that robust security is the bedrock for business, guaranteeing security of supply, the ability to transact and confidence in the rule of law.
The call coincides with the publication of Ibec's latest priorities paper for Ireland's upcoming EU presidency, which which focuses on security and defence as essential elements for future-proofing European resilience in the context of global instability.
Danny McCoy, CEO of Ibec, said that the world has fundamentally changed over the past five years, and that European defence and security infrastructure is very vulnerable to attack.
"Defence is not just about militarisation. However, we cannot simply avoid militarisation when the rest of our European Union colleagues -- the Union, which is the domain for our economic success and prosperity -- are increasing their capabilities. We must be part of a secure Europe," he said.
“This does not involve abandoning our neutrality, and we need to ensure, in having realistic conversations about our defence capabilities, that we do not conflate the two. However, neutrality does not mean being defenceless.
"Being part of the defence of Europe is to make our contribution, and this can be in non-lethal aspects like radar systems and cybersecurity.”
McCoy went on to say that Ireland needs to ensure it has the people and capabilities necessary to defends its seas and airspace, which would require government to achieve Level 3 of the Commission on Defence Forces' ambition by 2028.
At present, the government is targeting achieving Level 2 by 2028 and accelerating the timeframe to reach Level 3 would required double the committed investment.
"Businesses rely on our ability to protect our undersea cables, our grid connection, energy, and defend against cyber threats, among others. We saw with the visit of President Zelenskyy last week and with Ireland’s EU Presidency fast approaching, that our vulnerabilities are going to become more scrutinised internationally," McCoy said.
"In the future world of investment, the realities of business will require a country to be able to prove that it can defend and secure its assets. So this is of paramount national importance, not just in protecting ourselves but also ensuring future prosperity.”
Danny McCoy, CEO of Ibec.
McCoy was recently appointed to lead taskforce on security and defence for Business Europe, the Brussels-based association of 42 national business federations from 36 countries, including all EU member states, countries in the European Economic Area (EEA), and other neighbouring nations.
(Pic: Getty Images)
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