Neither the recent ministerial incumbent Simon Harris, nor his predecessor Micheál Martin, nor secretary general at the Department of Defence Jacqui McCrum, have any background whatsoever in matters of defence, at any level... none! We need a huge investment in defence. We have to become part of a European defence. That it would now oppose any move that would assist An Garda Síochána in the fight against serious organised crime, or the threat from foreign or domestic terrorism, is truly astonishing. It is long past time that this self-serving, bullying lobby was confronted — one sustained in Ireland alone by EU subsidies of over €1.3bn each year.

Source: Irish Examiner January 26, 2026 01:57 UTC