Ireland is poised to join a collaborative alliance of European nations focused on sharing intelligence regarding potential threats within EU waters.
Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Simon Harris, has granted permission for the Defence Forces to officially participate in the Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE). This move aims to enhance the country’s maritime surveillance capabilities.
CISE is a voluntary and decentralized network designed for sharing maritime surveillance information among EU and EEA countries and agencies. As Simon Harris emphasized, joining this alliance is a “common sense measure” that strengthens Ireland’s security infrastructure.
The collaboration enables various authorities, including coast guards, naval services, and customs, to communicate their data securely and in real time, ensuring a cohesive approach to maritime monitoring.
With the European Commission overseeing this initiative, all EU countries are encouraged to take part. Importantly, members retain control over their data and have the discretion to determine what information to share.
Each participant connects through a CISE “node,” which functions as a secure gateway for sharing and receiving information. Ireland’s node will be operated by the Naval Service from Haulbowline in County Cork.
Harris highlighted that this connection with other European nations is crucial to developing Ireland’s first national maritime security strategy, which is currently in the works. At the beginning of the year, a new maritime security unit was established within the Department of Defence to explore ways to mitigate potential threats and risks to Ireland’s maritime interests.
As Ireland oversees a vast maritime territory with limited resources, concerns have arisen regarding the surveillance and potential sabotage of critical infrastructure. Recently, Russian intelligence-gathering ships have been observed lingering near undersea cables and operating close to Irish waters under unclear intentions.
When questioned about how this alliance could have assisted during a recent incident involving a Russian surveillance vessel in Ireland’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Minister Harris stated that CISE would facilitate a more structured approach to information sharing with international partners. “It means you have an option to exchange information with those ten other countries… vessels of interest can move from one country’s waters to another quite quickly,” he explained. “Given the increased prevalence of vessels of interest, timely information sharing is more important than ever.”
However, concerns about the implications for Ireland’s neutrality have been expressed. Former lieutenant colonel and deputy director of military intelligence at the Irish Defence Forces, Michael Murphy, voiced worries that sharing intelligence about maritime activities with foreign forces could compromise Ireland’s neutral stance. “One of the problems is that we could be sharing intelligence about what’s happening in our waters to foreign forces. This raises concerns about the side we may inadvertently be taking,” he stated.
Additionally, Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Defence, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, has announced intentions to request a thorough briefing from the Tánaiste about the cooperation agreements entailed in CISE membership. “The Tánaiste must ensure that sharing of information does not impact Ireland’s neutrality,” he said.
Mark Price, co-founder of the Irish Neutrality League, has also expressed skepticism about this alliance, suggesting it primarily represents the interests of Western powers rather than a truly international effort. “This is part of the government’s initiative to create a sense of alarm among the Irish public, pushing for military and security alliances,” he remarked.
Últimately, Minister Harris reiterated that Ireland’s participation in CISE does not compromise its neutrality. “This is not about entering a military alliance. Rather, it’s a voluntary information-sharing network. Much of this already happens informally, and our goal is to formalize those processes,” he clarified.
The European Commission has indicated that CISE will play a pivotal role in supporting future maritime data systems, services, and sharing processes. It also forms a part of the Integrated Surveillance Mechanism for Submarine Cables, aiming to safeguard critical undersea infrastructure.
Having developed over the past 15 years, CISE became fully operational in 2024, marking a significant step forward in collaborative maritime security efforts throughout Europe.
