Brexit and Irish Security and Defence in Europe

The UK’s withdrawal from the European Union has placed key Irish security and defence roles (national defence, aid to the civil power and international security) into a new context and posed a substantial existential security challenge to the Irish state. With the difficulties surrounding the implementation of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement (WA), the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) and the associated Northern Ireland Protocol (NIP), Irish policy makers are actively reviewing how each of these roles are now being impacted. It is opening new (and old) questions as to how best the State can defend itself, how it might chose to to engage with its European partners, and how it can reinforce its contribution to international peace support operations.