Maritime strategy a priority of EU presidency, McEntee says

Ireland plans to push maritime security higher up the European agenda when it takes over the presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 July, with Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence Helen McEntee saying she intends to place the country’s new maritime strategy front and centre.

Speaking in Warsaw after bilateral talks with Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski and defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, who both also serve as deputy prime ministers of Poland, Ms McEntee said the discussions centred on Ireland’s priorities for its upcoming EU presidency: core EU values, security and European competitiveness.

Among the issues she is keen to advance is maritime security, an area she said has become increasingly urgent for countries exposed to threats at sea and beneath it.

“I’ve published just this year a new maritime security strategy, which I wanted to bring to the fore during the presidency, making sure that countries that are very much affected by maritime security or maritime threats, be it above sea or below, with our significant critical infrastructure underwater, that we’re working more closely together,” Minister McEntee said.

In February, Minister Entee unveiled Ireland’s first National Maritime Security Strategy, designed to protect Irish sovereignty by strengthening the defence of critical maritime infrastructure, including subsea cables.

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The plan also points to deeper naval co-operation with France and the UK.

Security featured prominently in the wider conversation. Poland made European security the defining theme of its EU presidency during the first six months of 2025 and is expected to devote close to 5% of its annual GDP to defence this year, the highest share per capita in the bloc.

Ireland, by comparison, remains among the lowest defence spenders in the EU, with a budget worth slightly more than 0.2% of GDP.

Still, the Government has set aside a record €1.5bn for defence expenditure this year, a 35% rise since 2022, when Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“We are increasing our capital funding for defence spending by 55% so we are very focused on investing more,” Ms McEntee said.

She said that investment is being directed toward radar and sonar capabilities, along with counter-drone technology, with a particular focus on Ireland’s naval service.

Support for Ukraine also formed part of Ms McEntee’s discussions with Mr Sikorski and Mr Kosiniak-Kamysz.

“Defending Ukraine is the same as defending Europe, and it’s really important that we continue to support Ukraine, that we continue to put pressure on Russia, be it through sanctions or other means.

“It is essential that Europe, that the EU, is around the table for any future negotiation for any agreement that’s reached between Ukraine and Russia,” she added.

At a joint press conference, Mr Sikorski said he welcomed the fact that security was “once again one of the priorities” for the EU presidency. He also said Ireland and Poland were “united by a strong Polish diaspora, which has found a second home in Ireland”.

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