The Government is to examine new legislation to address the growing number of Russian “shadow-fleet” vessels passing through Irish-controlled waters.
Department of Defence secretary general Jacqui McCrum said the move was one of a number of measures being taken by her department to counter potential hybrid threats to Irish underwater infrastructure such as gas pipelines and communications cables.
Ms McCrum made the comments at an event held by the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), the Dublin-based think tank, examining risks to subsurface infrastructure.
Simon Coveney, the event’s chair and former tánaiste and minister for defence, said 75 per cent of transatlantic cables “come through or very close to” Irish-controlled waters.
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More than 80 per cent of gas used in Ireland comes through underwater pipes from Scotland, while there were plans to build enough offshore infrastructure to generate 37 gigawatts of electricity by 2050, he said.
“So this economy, this island and our people, are extremely vulnerable to potential threats to that core infrastructure that surrounds our own,” Mr Coveney said.
Ms McCrum said the “increasingly volatile geopolitical situation” highlighted the vulnerabilities of Irish undersea infrastructure.
“Indeed, as you know, Russian intelligence vessels and vessels of the shadow fleet have been seen in our waters.”
Russia has been using vessels registered in other countries to transport oil in an effort to bypass sanctions imposed following its invasion of Ukraine. These vessels, which have also been accused of damaging undersea cables in EU waters, are known collectively as the shadow fleet.
In July, an Irish Times investigation found a large increase in the number of shadow fleet vessels transiting through Ireland’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), including some engaged in unusual behaviour such as taking economically inefficient routes or sailing well outside recognised shipping lanes.
Ms McCrum said that, along with the new Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieut Gen Rossa Mulcahy, she is preparing advice for the attorney general to strengthen legislation in this area.
The current legislation was created “in a different time and the threats are completely different now,” she said.
International legislation is unclear as to what action states can take against falsely flagged vessels in their waters.
Vessels typically have a right of passage through countries’ EEZ. However, some experts argue this is not be valid if a ship is flying a fraudulent flag or failing to comply with safety or environmental requirements.
The secretary general said she is examining how the process of legislative reform can be accelerated and done “quickly and urgently”.
Former Defence Forces Chief of Staff Mark Mellett said Russia’s shadow fleet activity was part of its hybrid activity toolbox and that it operates “in the gaps” of international maritime law.
More needers to be done to tighten up regulations in this area, the retired vice-admiral said.
“It may be a requirement for international institutions to meet and be more robust in the context of how you deal with this,” he said.
Ms McCrum said her department has created a new maritime security unit to lead in this area and that a maritime security strategy is currently being drafted, having completed its public consultation phase.
Work is also ongoing on acquiring sonar technology to allow Naval Service vessels detect what is operating under the sea. She said the procurement process of this technology has been greatly accelerated.
“This capability will be used to detect objects near cables and pipelines in Irish territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone,” she said.
She said the Department was also examining the prospect of using unmanned vessels to monitor Irish waters.
Ms McCrum pointed to comments by the head of the UK Royal Navy that every ship going to sea will have two unmanned vessels on board.
“So we need to look at that,” she said.
