SECURING OUR SKIES

IRELAND will have anti-drone technology in place by next summer, Minister for Defence Helen McEntee said.

- BY GRAINNE NI AODHA

The technology will "identify and neutralise" drones that "may be a threat" and will be in place before the meeting of senior EU figures in Dublin.

Ireland will host the presidency of the Council of the European Union from July 1 next year, which will include an informal meeting of EU ministers in Ireland.

Asked whether an under-investment in defence raised questions about Ireland's capabilities to host the EU presidency next year, Ms McEntee said "absolutely not".

She said it was "essential" that Ireland's defence continued to be funded amid "changing" and "emerging" threats.

She was speaking at the Curragh Camp in Co Kildare as the €1.7 billion national development plan for the Defence Forces was published.

Ms McEntee said it represented an increase of about 55% on the previous plan.

She added: "My focus and priority as Minister for Defence, working with the department and working with the Defence Forces, is to make sure that the Defence Forces are growing, expanding and that we are enhancing capabilities at every step of the way."