Photograph: GettyIreland and the UK will increasingly focus on maritime security cooperation to protect undersea cables after signing a renewed defence agreement, the Taoiseach has said. A series of live exercises are to be carried out to test readiness, with the first scheduled in September. In opening remarks at the summit, Starmer also emphasised security cooperation and the new agreement. The renewed defence agreement updates an existing 2015 deal, but McEntee said cooperation would now be “more targeted and focused”. It would allow for a focus on maritime security “in a way that we haven’t before”.

Source: The Irish Times March 13, 2026 17:05 UTC