Minister for Defence Helen McEntee has said a new maritime security strategy will be published in the coming weeks to identify risks and threats, adding that Russia "is a threat to everybody".
She told the Munich Security Conference at the weekend it was time for an "an honest conversation" on how Ireland protects its security and infrastructure.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Ms McEntee said that her priority was to make sure Ireland was "more ambitious" regarding its own protection amid threats from Russia.
"I think Russia is a threat to everybody," the minister said, adding that "we have a large maritime domain and that in itself is a threat."
"We have a huge amount of subsea cables, a huge amount of piping, all of which comes in and around our vicinity. But again, we are no different to the other countries who are in a similar position."
She added: "I don't think we're any different to any other kind of target similar to ourselves. I'm not going to single us out and say we are the main target."
Ms McEntee said Ireland is not on its own amid changing security threats, and is eyeing greater cooperation with allies in terms of how to respond to threats.
"It is absolutely essential that we are having these conversations now because it is a changed world that we live in. The security threats are changing, the dynamic is changing," she said.
"My priority here is to make sure that Ireland can be more ambitious, that our Defence Forces can be more ambitious, and that we can work closer with all of our colleagues, so not just our EU partners, but with our colleagues from right across the world.
"We do need to invest in our equipment and our capabilities. That’s why the financial plan, the capital plan that I published just before the end of the year, very clearly focuses and refocuses our attention to our investment in radar, in sonar and in counter-drone technology.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
"That is where we need to be, because that essentially is where the greatest risk is at the moment, and that is where we're seeing other countries investing in," she added.
Ireland is now considering boarding Russian oil smuggling ships as they pass through Irish waters.
"There is already a law in place that allows our Defence Forces, our troops to board a ship if there are environmental concerns and there are other ways in which we can do this," she said.
Ms McEntee said Ireland was not looking to join the Joint Expeditionary Force, an alliance of northern European countries including the UK, which comprises "high readiness forces configured to respond rapidly to crises".
"We're not looking to join it, but I do think that we need to see how we can engage, be it as observers or be it in another way."
She explained that this is something that "essentially replicates but doesn't replicate the actions of NATO.
"We're not members of NATO, we're not talking about joining NATO, but we need to be as engaged as possible, and our new maritime strategy will enable us to look at ways in which we can enhance our co-operation with these kind of countries.
"Importantly, as well, when I was at the conference, I met with NATO, I met with the Deputy Secretary General of NATO to see how Ireland as a neutral country, with no plans to change that ... but with a need to engage further to be more ambitious, how we can do that.
"And that is a really important step, I think, to make sure that people know we're here, we're serious, that we have ambition and that we have a lot to offer in terms of our overall European security."
