Ireland Ready to Join EU's SAFE Defence Programme

Ireland will join the European Union’s Security Action For Europe (SAFE) rearmament programme, Foreign Minister Helen McEntee has said. The Irish government is preparing to join SAFE not only to gain access to funding but also to work more closely with European partners, McEntee stated on Wednesday. She added that Ireland’s status of military neutrality does not prevent the country from cooperating with European partners in responding to security threats. The European Commission previously indicated it would announce a new round of applications for loans under the SAFE framework. The SAFE programme was launched in May 2025. The financial instrument provides long-term loans under special conditions worth up to 150 billion euros to support the joint procurement of military equipment and strengthen the EU’s defence industrial base.