Ireland has intensified maritime patrols as Russian‑linked vessels increasingly thread its waters. Lieutenant Commander Maria O’Callaghan on the George Bernard Shaw now hails and questions ships at a rate she says never occurred in her 20‑year career, even tracking a liquefied natural gas tanker bound for a Russian port. The push aims to close a gap in a force of only 7,500.

Foreign, trade and defense minister Helen McEntee announced a 1.7 billion‑euro budget boost for 2026‑2030, a 55 percent surge intended to fund new radar, counter‑drone systems and additional patrol vessels. The five‑year Maritime Security Strategy targets protection of undersea cables and tighter monitoring of the shadow‑fleet that moves Russian fuel past sanctions, addressing a core hybrid threat, including modern sonar.

The upgrades come as Dublin readies to host the EU’s rotating presidency, bringing senior officials to an island that houses data centres for Apple, Google and Meta. Critics say the steps fall short, but the expanded budget and new assets give the government a concrete tool to deter illicit maritime activity and reassure European partners, and improve resilience of critical infrastructure.