Short answer
Today the British Armed Forces defend Northern Ireland as part of the UK. In a united Ireland that job would pass to Ireland's Defence Forces, and no detailed plan has been set out for how they would take it on.
What we know Fact
- Defence is an "excepted matter" under the Northern Ireland Act 1998: it is handled by the UK Government for the whole UK.
- Ireland's Defence Forces have around 7,500 personnel.
- Ireland spends less on defence, as a share of its economy, than any other EU country.
- Ireland is militarily neutral and not a member of NATO.
What is still unclear Interpretation
Unity campaigners have not said how a united Ireland would fund and staff the defence of a larger territory and population, or whether Irish neutrality would change.
Sources
Our view Pro-Union
Security is the first duty of any state. Anyone proposing to replace the UK's defence of Northern Ireland should explain, in detail and with costs, what would take its place.
