A secretive group lobbying government for the arms industry is working with Lockheed Martin to connect Irish businesses with international weapons manufacturers for “partnering opportunities”.
Late last year the Irish Defence and Security Association (IDSA) sent correspondence to its members announcing two “members only meetings” that were to be “curated together with Lockheed Martin”,
“The envisaged 'meeting with a major international defence contractor on partnering opportunities' will be curated together with Lockheed Martin on the morning of Wednesday 16 October in Dublin city centre,” wrote then-operations manager Oisín Green last September to IDSA members.
One of its co-founders is a regular contributor to Irish media
IDSA initially refused to disclose its membership while lobbying government on defence issues – but last year admitted it represents Lockheed Martin, Saab, Patria and other weapons manufacturers after reports by The Ditch.
It has filed 17 lobbying returns since its foundation and one of its co-founders, UCD academic Ben Tonra, is a regular contributor to Irish media, yesterday writing in the Irish Times, “In today’s environment, neutrality must evolve.”
The other co-founders are ex-solider Pat O’Connor and UCD adjunct research fellow Caitríona Heinl.
All three hold high-ranking positions at the Azure Forum, a think tank for “for contemporary security strategy” that seeks to “provide fresh and collaborative thinking on modern risks within the national and global landscape”.
Earlier this year The Ditch reported that Azure placed two sympathetic articles on IDSA in national media on its behalf.
A 2022 IDSA briefing note seen by The Ditch says the coming decade “is likely to see a deterioration of the defence and security landscape, driven at least in part by climate collapse” – and discusses how Irish business can use this opportunity for profit.
This month government announced a record budget of almost €1.5 billion for defence in 2026. The Department of Defence has since December 2024 held quarterly meetings with the arms industry lobbyists where both parties brief each other on their activities.
IDSA has been contacted for comment.
