A British warship and a helicopter designed to hunt submarines have been deployed off the coast of Co Wicklow as part of a security operation surrounding the meeting of EU defence ministers in Druids Glen.
The Royal Navy ship was requested by Irish authorities to provide air defence during the event, which forms part of Ireland’s hosting of the EU presidency.
UK foreign secretary Ed Miliband is expected to join the meeting in Wicklow, where the Ukraine war is likely to dominate debate.
The Irish Defence Forces lacks the capability to conduct long-range air defence operations itself.
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However, the British vessel must remain outside of Irish territorial waters, which extend 22km out to sea.
The Government received legal advice that it would be unconstitutional for a foreign military ship to operate within Irish territorial waters, even if there at the request of the State.
The British ship has its transponder turned off, meaning it is not visible on open-source marine tracking platforms. However, a helicopter operating from the ship was visible for about two hours on Monday morning.
The helicopter, a Royal Navy Merlin aircraft with the call sign Renegade, is fitted with advanced technology designed to detect submarines and surface vessels. During its operations on Monday it appeared to briefly inspect a Portuguese cargo ship. An Irish Air Corps aircraft later inspected the same vessel.
The use of a Royal Navy ship to provide security for Ireland during an EU event has drawn some criticism in the UK after it was first reported by The Irish Times last week.
Conservative MP John Cooper wrote to UK defence secretary Wes Streeting saying he was “aghast” at reports the ship must stay outside of Irish territorial limits.
“The insistence that foreign warships remain outside of Irish limits hampers their effectiveness. The Royal Navy is being asked to do a bad job. To add insult to injury, the British taxpayers are footing the bill for this bodge,” Cooper wrote in the letter, which he posted to social media.
He accused Ireland of “freeloading” by claiming neutrality while failing to invest in defence.
It is the second time a foreign nation has provided air defence for EU presidency events in Ireland. On July 1st the French air defence frigate Aquitaine was stationed off Dublin, outside Irish territorial waters, during events to open the presidency.
It did the same off the coast of Co Cork the next day during a meeting of EU commissioners in the county. An Irish naval officer was stationed aboard the ship.
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The Irish Government has so far declined to officially confirm requesting assistance from foreign forces during the presidency.
An Garda Síochána and the Irish Defence Forces have mounted significant security operations for the presidency. The military operation, known as Operation Fianna, is run by a joint taskforce based in McKee barracks in Dublin.
It co-ordinates ground, sea and air units, including anti-drone units stationed around major events.
On Monday the Naval Service ship LÉ Samuel Beckett was deployed closer to the coast of Co Wicklow while a C295 maritime patrol aircraft and various helicopters conducted air patrols.
