Ireland is currently “just defenceless” and would be overrun within hours if a foreign power invaded, one of the country’s leading experts on defence has said. 

Cathal Berry, an independent TD for Kildare and a former Army Ranger, has warned the Defence Forces are perilously understaffed and under-resourced in a world that is increasingly volatile. 

Speaking on The Pat Kenny Show, Dr Berry said he strongly disagrees with the assertion that Ireland is neutral and insteads views the State as simply vulnerable. 

“I think maybe we would like to be neutral but I don’t think we are currently,” he said. 

“We’re just defenceless. 

“Neutral countries have obligations - just like Austria and Switzerland - they’re able to look after their air space, they’re able to look after their land borders but we’re not a neutral country. 

“We don’t meet the criteria… We like to think we are but we don’t have the means and resources to enforce that neutrality.” 

Members of the Defences Forces prior to their departure for deployment to Lebanon as part of UNIFIL, 21-10-23. Image: Eamonn Farrell/© RollingNews.ie

Dr Berry said the only way the Defence Forces would have “some hope” of protecting the State from an invasion was if they were given several weeks’ notice beforehand. 

“We’re very vulnerable to any kind of a surprise attack - which is highly unlikely,” Dr Berry said. 

“But it just shows how poorly resourced our ground forces are.” 

Defence Forces Personnel outside the GPO for the 108th anniversary of the 1916 Rising. Image: Leah Farrell / © RollingNews.ie

Since Dr Berry joined the Defence Forces in 1994, the number of Army Reservists has dropped from 13,000 to 1,300 - a 90% reduction in 30 years. 

It is, he believes, emblematic of the lack of interest in defence policy in public life. 

“There hasn’t been a culture of even discussing defence as a topic in the last 10 years,” he said. 

“We didn’t have a [formal] defence policy until 2000; so, the first 80 years of our existence we had no formal defence policy and that just sums up why we are in a position now where we cannot police or monitor our landmass. 

“We cannot police or monitor our sovereign waters or even our airspace - which is highly unusual.” 

An Irish Defence Forces arm patch on a soldier.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Government agreed spending on defence would rise from €1 billion annually to €1.5 billion by 2028. 

Dr Berry believes the purchase of a functioning radar system should be at the top of the Department of Defence’s shopping list. 

“We don’t even have primary radar,” he said. 

“So, early warning would be the first vulnerability; we’re the only EU country of the 27 that doesn’t have any primary radar. 

“Even tiny Malta with a population the size of County Cork has had primary radar for decades and Ireland doesn’t.” 

Samuel Beckett Naval Ship. Photo: Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland

Around 97% of the world’s internet communications pass through a network of undersea fibre-optic cables and most of those linking Europe and North America pass through Irish waters. 

In recent years, Ireland’s international allies have raised concerns about the vulnerability of these cables to Russian sabotage. 

“We certainly have to get our Navy back to sea,” Dr Berry said. 

“There’s about 700 sailors in the Navy; we need about 2,000. 

“So, the Commission on the Defence Forces recommended double crewing vessels and a full [force] of 2,000. 

“We’ve a long way to go from a naval perspective; if we can push our maritime presence back out into our territorial waters that at least helps from a surface point of view.”

Last year, there were  7,764 members of the Defence Forces - down from 8,568 in 2020.

Main image: Soldiers in the Irish Army. Photo: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie