‘This is what failure looks like’: Why Ireland will fall years short of military targets
Taoiseach Micheál Martin visiting Camp Shamrock in Lebanon, where troops from the Irish Defence Forces are involved in a peacekeeping mission. The centre centralises initial military training for all Defence Forces recruits. This includes reopening Reserve Defence Forces outposts, which would serve as a pipeline into the permanent forces. Given current events, Ireland is running out of time to address the deficits in the Defence Forces, Harvey says. Croatia is reintroducing compulsory military service, similar to Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden.
Source: The Irish Times January 17, 2026 16:30 UTC
