Should the Irish Defence Force be Better Funded? | The Tonight Show

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 27 лис 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 94

  • @barryhackett2757
    @barryhackett2757 2 роки тому +27

    You can have a strong army and still be neutral

    • @kevburke
      @kevburke 2 роки тому +9

      Absolutely, in fact, you *need* a strong military to be neutral.
      It's non-alignment, not complete disarmament.

    • @markmcguffin873
      @markmcguffin873 2 роки тому

      Hear Hear!

    • @Halen0224
      @Halen0224 5 місяців тому

      Or stop relying on other to pretect you

  • @Joker-yw9hl
    @Joker-yw9hl 2 роки тому +14

    My grandparents came over from Ireland to Britain after the war, and while that may make me a plastic paddy to some, I love Ireland and always take an interest in what's happening there. For what it's worth, my opinion is that Ireland should maintain its neutrality, but there should be a marginal increase in defence spending - and I'm not advocating Ireland necessarily buys American or British either. Defence spending I believe should range between 0.75% and 1% of GDP, and not 0.25% like it has been in recent years.
    Ireland needs the capability to independently police its Exclusive Economic Zone by air and by sea, otherwise it is independent in name only. This needn't require spending a fortune.
    As an island nation, Ireland doesn't need a large peacetime army, but an increase in funds would be welcome (if for no other reason than to sufficiently pay personnel across the board), but I would strongly advise the Irish Air Corps be given the investment it needs. I would advocate the procurement of the Leonardo M346FA, an exceptional Italian light multi-role jet for the price. The procurement of 26 of these aircraft would be nice - symbolically one for each county of the Republic, though I am aware that there's no room for romantic sentimentality when it comes to defence. Perhaps 6-12 would suffice, but it is a bit thin. Another option could be to lease the more capable (and expensive) Swedish Gripen fighter, like countries such as Hungary and the Czech Republic are doing. Both options are sound in my opinion.
    In regards to the Navy, surprisingly I would argue not much needs doing here. The Samuel Beckett class ships are fantastic offshore patrol vessels, and all 4 have been built very recently. The 2 Roisin class vessels seem more than up to the job. The only problem is no matter how good a ship is, it can't be in two places at once. More hulls in the water might be necessary.
    In an ideal world a few more ships would be grand considering that the EEZ goes out for 200 miles which is a large area to sufficiently police and patrol (especially with any semblance of force) and the Irish coastline is over 4000km.
    I'll be interested to see what happens going forward. Love to the Emerald Isle from Britannia 🇮🇪🇬🇧

    • @keithp6699
      @keithp6699 2 роки тому +1

      I welcome the fact that your are interested in the land of your forefathers even if you are British yourself. 🙂

  • @kbonh22
    @kbonh22 2 роки тому +24

    Maybe increase the pay and conditions or you won't have a Defence Force anymore.

    • @keithp6699
      @keithp6699 2 роки тому +3

      It is unbelievable how many people have left the defence forces in the last few years and who haven't been replaced. They need to realise as well that the army got a really bad name over the years and people are more chosy now when it comes to career choice so they're less likely to look to the defence forces as a career.

    • @kbonh22
      @kbonh22 2 роки тому +1

      @@keithp6699 The problem isn't recruitment, there's plenty joining.
      The problem is so many get treated like dirt by the senior ranks and leave within 2 or 3 years.

  • @gloin10
    @gloin10 2 роки тому +19

    The Irish Defence Forces need to both better funded, and hugely expanded.
    The Irish Naval Service and Aer Corps need to become significant services.
    We are at least as well off as Austria, Sweden or Finland.
    These are neutral nations which take their obligations, as neutral nations, seriously.
    We need to get serious about what the term 'Neutral' actually means, and what we need to spend, in terms of money and commitments, to qualify for that definition.
    At the moment, we CANNOT even identify aircraft, surface ships or submarines in our own Exclusive Economic Zone(EEZ), never mind intercept them or deter them.
    At best, Paul Murphy TD is, on the evidence of his statements, one of those people defined by Lenin as 'Useful Idiots'....

    • @mijicmugendo
      @mijicmugendo 2 роки тому +1

      Ireland's EEZ is not Irish airspace. It is international airspace and all aircraft and ships are permitted to pass through international airspace and international waters according to international law

    • @gloin10
      @gloin10 2 роки тому +2

      @@mijicmugendo
      I never said otherwise.
      However, that does NOT mean that we should not have the ability to identify and track aircraft, surface vessels and submarines in that area.
      At the moment, we don't even have the primary radar to see, never mind identify, aircraft that have turned their transponders off.
      Our Naval Service is, in terms of its ability to find and track submarines, pre-Second World War.

    • @mijicmugendo
      @mijicmugendo 2 роки тому

      @@gloin10
      I agree, so lets put in top of the range military radar.
      Why would we need to track submarines, I'm not against it, but why? British submarines have done more damage and taken more lives along Irish coast lines than Russian subs ever have and no one ever called for them to be tracked and do you really want to spend billion and billions on sonar sensors in Irish waters when even the IDF have stated that any war involving Russia attacking Ireland was fanciful.
      Most people haven't the slightest clue about real Irish defense, they just want shiny new toys so that they can play with the cool kids and that childish behaviour is being used by politicians to try and bounce Ireland into NATO.
      That will never happen.

    • @bighands69
      @bighands69 Рік тому

      @@mijicmugendo
      When an enemy surrounds Ireland by the seas which at present would only take two destroyer class vessels and about 1000 troops to invade the mainland.

    • @Moc5116
      @Moc5116 10 місяців тому

      Can't give any more money to the defences forces the politicians have grabbed as much as they can with out being labeled dishonest

  • @sebjones1566
    @sebjones1566 2 роки тому +16

    Got more Irishman serving in the British Armed Forces than the Irish Defence Force.

    • @mijicmugendo
      @mijicmugendo 2 роки тому

      They can stay there

    • @benson3710
      @benson3710 2 роки тому +3

      @@mijicmugendo whys that?

    • @mijicmugendo
      @mijicmugendo 2 роки тому

      @@benson3710
      Because we don't want them back ! I would remove their Irish citizenship if it was up to me.

    • @bighands69
      @bighands69 Рік тому

      @@mijicmugendo
      "We"
      Who is "We"

  • @thedragongamer6767
    @thedragongamer6767 2 роки тому +7

    Definitely increase the funding and pay of the irish defence forces

  • @stuartmcloughlin
    @stuartmcloughlin Рік тому +4

    An island nation on the western fringes of Europe that doesn't have a functioning Naval Service or Defence Force in general. No air interdiction capabilities (yet) and a morale crisis around pay & conditions that have been talked about since the 80s. Nothing will change.

  • @eugeneoreilly9356
    @eugeneoreilly9356 Рік тому +3

    There's more civil servants in the DOD than soldiers in the army.

  • @dazza9859
    @dazza9859 11 місяців тому +1

    We need to start taking Defense seriously and have a full defense pact with Britain.We need in Ireland to stop taking it for granted Britain will protect us.

    • @Art-is-craft
      @Art-is-craft 9 місяців тому

      In WW3 there is no guarantee that Britain and America will be able to defend Ireland.

  • @JonM-ts7os
    @JonM-ts7os Рік тому +3

    Ireland, the new British protectorate.

  • @CondeDeBarca
    @CondeDeBarca Рік тому +2

    I can’t even believe this is a question.
    If nothing else, there should be at least enough money put aside to adequately pay defense force members

    • @Art-is-craft
      @Art-is-craft 9 місяців тому

      If Ireland was to spend 2 % of its gdp it would offer more pay and a much larger and more capable defence force.

    • @CondeDeBarca
      @CondeDeBarca 9 місяців тому

      @@Art-is-craft Even one percent, I calculated even the GNI, not counting the over inflated gdp, and even one percent would be enough for a capable navy, army and even squadrons of jets for the air corps. 2 percent would already put us on par with most minor NATO countries

    • @Art-is-craft
      @Art-is-craft 9 місяців тому

      @@CondeDeBarca
      Irelands GDP is about right for the level of goods exported. Current exports are in excess of 200 billion and imports are about 130 billion. The 2.5% of GDP is an ok and acceptable figure. Current health expenditure is 3.8% of GDP.

    • @CondeDeBarca
      @CondeDeBarca 9 місяців тому

      @@Art-is-craft Definitely bearing in mind we have no existing defensive pact with any other country

  • @warlord801
    @warlord801 2 роки тому +8

    just DO NOT ask America for help.... when russia invades...

    • @ciaranbrk
      @ciaranbrk 2 роки тому +2

      Russia doesn’t have the force projection capability to invade so far away and America would only supply arms and intel.

    • @mijicmugendo
      @mijicmugendo 2 роки тому +1

      Russia can't even invade a country next door to it properly, let alone Ireland

    • @mickmacgonigle5021
      @mickmacgonigle5021 Рік тому

      Or Russia if the anglos invade

  • @VaucluseVanguard
    @VaucluseVanguard 2 роки тому +3

    Ireland is not and has never been neutral. The idea that the country has been is nonsense. Ireland is in many was comparable to Canada. Canada's armed forces are among the least capable in NATO and Canada spends amongst the lowest of its GDP among NATO countries on defence. Why is this so? Well, because the USA is next door. There has been no imaginable threat to Canada since from the US since just before the US entered the First World War. Canadians understand that the US's interests mean they would have to defend Canada against any external aggressor. Ireland has been in the same position since 1922. Any foreign power that threatened the security of Ireland would also threaten that of the UK - even if Northern Ireland did not exist - and the UK would be compelled to come to Ireland's defence; by the way this is not true of any EU country. The difference between Canadians and we Irish? Most Canadians accept that reality while most Irish chooses to live in fantasy lah-lah land and delude themselves they live in a neutral country. For the purposes of defence, Ireland is essentially a protectorate of the UK. If we do not like that for historical reasons, we could certainly join NATO, and if the UK's membership of that organisation is a problem, then we should champion an EU military architecture. Either way, we are likely to see foreign troops based or regularly training on our soil.

    • @Art-is-craft
      @Art-is-craft 9 місяців тому

      Canada has geography as a defence. Ireland had it in WW2 but in WW3 missiles, long range aircraft and a western naval invasion are not defended by geography.

  • @markbuckley9856
    @markbuckley9856 2 роки тому +5

    what wrong with have a proper discussion about defense in this country, what are people afraid of. yes pay the personal . but we need to stop scaremongering and discuses what we need the defense force to do

    • @yermanoffthetelly
      @yermanoffthetelly 2 роки тому

      There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. I think like in the run up to the 8th the politicians have made it a taboo topic which no party wants to touch. A citizens assembly is not a bad idea as it will depoliticize the conversation and force a rational discussion on the subject. This notion of pretending to be neutral while having an extremely limited ability to defend ourselves (unlike the countries that are actually neutral) is unsustainable. And yes, give the personnel a proper wage and decent working conditions.

    • @bighands69
      @bighands69 Рік тому

      You want the truth then of what Ireland needs.
      It needs to spend about €50 billion on its military infrastructure, spend about €12 billion per year on its military and then recruit about 50,000 troops.
      That means having about 80 fighter jets at a minimum, air defence system, radar system, multiple naval bases and ports.
      Irish people are living in a fantasy and do not want to face up to reality.

    • @Art-is-craft
      @Art-is-craft 9 місяців тому

      Ireland needs about 200 fighter jets, about 12 naval ships and about 50000 serving personnel. That would cost about 2.5% of gdp and is a normal defence budget which in Irelands case would be 15 billion per year. And that would require a 50 billion up front expenditure.

  • @DonalOLochlainn
    @DonalOLochlainn 8 місяців тому +1

    Simply put YES.

  • @Peter70539
    @Peter70539 4 місяці тому

    It appears that the Irish government has confused neutrality and indifference. A very myopic defence policy

  • @jaws666
    @jaws666 Рік тому

    I sereved in the Army reserve (62nd mp Coy....since disbanded) and i remember my company commandant once stated "we DONT have an army,we have a defence force which is NOT up to standard and is NOT fit for purpose"......that says it all right there.

  • @ironofithaka8357
    @ironofithaka8357 11 місяців тому

    Look I’m an irish american (3rd generation american) who serves in the US Military. Kinda whacky that ireland can’t even police its own territory and rely on its former colonizers for air defense.
    As an air defender, ireland needs to significantly invest in homeland security. The David Sling system is an excellent platform to combat air/mission threats. There needs to be a ground based radar complex. I would heavy suggest the american TIPY-II. Ireland is actually pretty well off on ground level air defense.
    Ireland needs to invest in replacing the pirahna iiiH and I would suggest the CV90 or just the pirahna V. Ireland also needs to buy interceptors to deter threats from any aggressor and the saab line of jets are a solid choice. Strategic airlift is something lacks, either a small fleet of CN295 to capitalize off of familiarity and parts interchangeability or a few A400Ms (3-4) would be the best bet as it not only serves a humanitarian role but a role to quickly insert forces into a hotspot or zone.
    As an outside looking in, ireland does need nato. They need to modernize its aircorps and naval branch, they need to fix the pay issues which I understand is a main issue.

    • @Art-is-craft
      @Art-is-craft 9 місяців тому

      If Ireland was to spend 2% of its gdp on its military it would increase the defence budget 10 fold.

  • @kevclaremcd
    @kevclaremcd 5 місяців тому

    So, we are discussing a situation where we cannot defend our airspace, our land space, and our really important, sea space. And, we are talking about protecting our neutrality????????? If we cannot do any of those key principles for the defence of our 'Independent' nation, we are a total joke. The Department of Defence has systematically for the last 40 years that I have served my country, systematically run down the importance of the nation's defence. They have essentially cancelled the broad local reach of the RDF, and reduced the number of Brigades available for our nation's defence. As for Paul Murphy, what will you do when Russians take over Dun Laoighre or some other lucrative spots in Dublin, will you expect our neighbours to jump in to help us when Russian bombers invade our airspace and we have no deterrent???

  • @eugeneoreilly9356
    @eugeneoreilly9356 3 місяці тому

    They talk about everything but the pay.Its no wonder that nobody wants to join.

  • @charlespirate1
    @charlespirate1 Рік тому

    Irish security is protected by NATO. The question is if Ireland joins and contributes or doesn’t and doesn’t.

  • @surkewrasoul4711
    @surkewrasoul4711 4 місяці тому

    Make love not War ❤

  • @slugdub101
    @slugdub101 Рік тому

    Pual Murphy would anchor our entire defense system, or lack of as the case is now, on books he's read. Chomsky, Orwell, and now, Maelanie Klien. It's frightening. He.reads them, and then tries to hammer everything he encounters into whatever they said. Not great!

  • @Joe3pops
    @Joe3pops Рік тому

    One cannot honestly discuss neutrality when one's sovereign air defence is within the hands of another more powerful nation.
    Just look at the militaries of other truly neutral nations and then try to tell me Ireland is not a great pretender: Switzerland, Austria, India.
    You can peacekeep for the UN until pigs fly or pull future rapists from the Straits of Gibraltar.....but self defence, real self defence, by land air and sea comes with expenditure of a nation's treasure.
    Don't lie to yourself because soon another Irish Air Corps helicopter might drop one of its doors upon your empty head.

  • @killercroc1001
    @killercroc1001 2 роки тому +2

    3 billion in this day and age will get you notting. If there serious they would have to at least spend 10 billion to start things off. Seven or 8 the next year winding it down in afew years to 3 billion annually per year

    • @mijicmugendo
      @mijicmugendo 2 роки тому +1

      Lets close all schools and hospitals while we are at it

    • @thedragongamer6767
      @thedragongamer6767 2 роки тому

      Ya need to be real with it right now ireland ain't in the best financially and especially with all the ukraine people we have taken in we have spread are selves very thin and right now yea we can give a little money to the irish defence forces but we need to think long term because we still need a functioning country so we kinda do need the hospitals and schools but right now the educational system needs a big rework aswell

    • @Danheron2
      @Danheron2 2 роки тому

      @@mijicmugendo not really Irelands gdp is currently 418 billion a couple billion won’t really effect anything unless the people running your country are a bunch money mismanaging idiots 😂

    • @bighands69
      @bighands69 Рік тому +1

      @@mijicmugendo
      There will not be any schools or hospitals If Ireland is invaded. You cannot use the excuse of school budgets for the fact that the Irish government does not spend enough on defences.

  • @surkewrasoul4711
    @surkewrasoul4711 26 днів тому

    From prototyping to stock piling. 😊

  • @surkewrasoul4711
    @surkewrasoul4711 5 місяців тому

    That man talks absolute nonesense, Weapons can be built right here in Ireland, You do not have to pay some forigners triple the price to Have a fantastic surface to air missile, radars and other things the millitary needs.

  • @InterrogatorchaplainAsmodai

    I love my country, but the defence forces would be about effective against an aggressive power as a wet noodle

    • @SG3Gunner
      @SG3Gunner Рік тому

      If you're thinking one on one against the russian army, no of course not. But we're an island nation, the russian army can't get to us. The main threats to us are subs using our waters to spy on NATO subs or their ships messing with undersea internet cables which are close to our coastline. All russia has to do is cut those lines in ONE location and all internet traffic from Europe to North America stops. No more stock market, no more banking and so on. All we need is enough ships and planes to watch over our coast and chase away any subs, not fight the whole russian navy, and THAT we can easily afford if we were serious about playing a meaningful role in European defense.
      We need to deter them, nothing more.

    • @Art-is-craft
      @Art-is-craft 9 місяців тому

      Hence why Ireland needs about 200 fighter jets and 50000 strong defence force.

  • @39doddle
    @39doddle 2 роки тому +9

    Murphy... the posh champagne socialist!

    • @percy7532
      @percy7532 2 роки тому +3

      This guy got russian money

  • @mickmacgonigle5021
    @mickmacgonigle5021 Рік тому +2

    No to NATO always

    • @hippy1922
      @hippy1922 Рік тому +1

      If you say no to NATO (I agree with you we should not join NATO) you must agree with an increase in Defence Spending surely?

  • @Niall-Noigiallach
    @Niall-Noigiallach 2 роки тому +3

    Can't attract people to an organization that is not attractive #betterpay

  • @breffni40
    @breffni40 Рік тому

    F FreeState Army West Brits

  • @timfurlong8956
    @timfurlong8956 Рік тому +1

    We are the back door into Europe. We need a defence force that can defend off any and all. We have been made a joke by this government when it comes to the defence Forces of this country. When fishermen were better able to stand up agenst the Russians of the Irish Coast. If the Russians had decided to invade Europe ireland would be the first to go We would be taken over in hour's not day's or weeks 😢😢😢

  • @tireachan6178
    @tireachan6178 2 роки тому +19

    We need more rainbow flags, feminists and trans soldiers!! That will show them Russians.

    • @lightfootpathfinder8218
      @lightfootpathfinder8218 2 роки тому +1

      😂👍

    • @mijicmugendo
      @mijicmugendo 2 роки тому

      Are you on drugs? Russians!

    • @lightfootpathfinder8218
      @lightfootpathfinder8218 2 роки тому +2

      @@mijicmugendo most of the US/UK undersea fibre optic cables go through Irish waters. being vital NATO infrastructure these are a major target for Russia (made all the more easier to target by the fact Ireland has little military power and is not part of NATO) so yes the Republic of Ireland should expect more Russian incursions into its waters and air space

    • @thedragongamer6767
      @thedragongamer6767 2 роки тому

      @@lightfootpathfinder8218 man's got a point but right now we made the Russians run away with fishermen but I don't think we'll be that lucky again

    • @lightfootpathfinder8218
      @lightfootpathfinder8218 2 роки тому +1

      @@thedragongamer6767 I agree. I think Ireland needs to build up it's military capability (especially the naval service and air corps) I can't really see an alternative tbh