Republic of Ireland: Air Force
(asked on 9th September 2026) - View Source
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026, to question 23117 on Air Force: Republic of Ireland, whether the Royal Air Force defends the airspace of the Republic of Ireland.
Answered by
Louise Sandher-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
This question was answered on 17th September 2026
The UK and Ireland work closely together on shared security challenges under the refreshed UK-Ireland Defence Memorandum of Understanding which prioritises cooperation in the air, cyber, and maritime domains. However, the UK is not responsible for defending the airspace of Ireland, and matters relating to the defence of Ireland remain for the Irish Government.