2025 HAS BEEN a momentous year for Ireland’s defence and national security debate.

In December, the government announced a €1.7bn Defence Sectoral Development Plan for our national defence and security. This represents the largest ever investment in defence in the history of the state and aims to address many of the targets set by the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces.

At present, Ireland – through no fault of the Defence Forces and an Garda Siochana themselves – is almost completely defenceless in the air, maritime, ground and cyber domains. This was uncomfortably apparent during the alleged drone incident during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Ireland on at the start of December.

Whilst it became clear that our security forces lacked the technology and equipment to detect, identify, track or intercept hostile drone activity, serious questions remain about command and control decisions and situational awareness at the highest levels during the incident. All credit goes to Naval Service personnel on the LÉ William Butler Yeats who spotted the drones, but what happened next raises serious concerns.

In particular, the failure of the relevant and competent office holders to inform the Irish aviation authorities – and pilots approaching and departing Dublin Airport on the night of the incident – of the presence of what were believed to be hostile industrial grade drones.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Taoiseach Micheál Martin outside Government Buildings on Tuesday 2 December. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Similar sightings across Europe during 2025 led to airport closures and the diverting of incoming aircraft away from the threat. In 2023, Dublin Airport was closed several times due to the proximity of tiny consumer drones. Aviation experts have confirmed that even small drones can inflict catastrophic damage on passenger aircraft in the landing and take-off phases.

As I write, we still have no answers from the relevant authorities as to why no warnings were issued to civil aviation on the night the drones were operating in close proximity to flight paths to Dublin Airport, at a point where passenger aircraft were descending to altitudes well within the operating ranges of industrial grade drones.

Whatever the explanation, or lack thereof, the incident and the response of key decision makers in our defence and national security community raise serious red flags about our ability to deal with the range of hybrid and conventional threats that will confront the state in 2026.

The government’s re-announced investment in our defence and national security capabilities in December is very welcome and sorely needed.

Our print and broadcast media have been flooded with –........

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