Ireland’s relationship with Nato is under threat due to “recent political shifts in Irish leadership”, the former UK military chief has said.
Jock Stirrup, a member of the House of Lords, made the comments during a parliamentary debate on the security of undersea cables.
Addressing the House of Lords on Monday, Mr Stirrup said Ireland is a crucial hub for undersea cables “but it lacks the capabilities to defend against and be resilient to the destruction of that infrastructure”.
In an apparent reference to last week’s presidential election, which saw Independent TD Catherine Connolly win in a landslide, Mr Stirrup said Ireland’s “individual tailored partnership programme” (ITTP) with Nato “is coming increasingly under threat with recent political shifts in Irish leadership”.
The ITTP is a bespoke arrangement between Ireland and Nato outlining areas of co-operation.
Ms Connolly is an outspoken critic of Nato and what she has called the “militarisation” of the European Union.
She has accused Nato of “warmongering” and has claimed it is partially to blame for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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