Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and his officials for coming in today. I will focus on a number of the recommendations that Government accepted in principle, especially around the areas of cyber and intelligence. There are two intelligence recommendations, Nos. 111 and 113, which were accepted in principle, and that deal with the "overarching legal and governance framework" and into "oversight in relation to intelligence" needing to be set out in legislation. Recommendation 9 in the area of cyber that has, again, been accepted in principle, is for, "the creation of a Joint Cyber Defence Command that should manage, Defence Forces IT Services, CIS Services and Cyber Defence". Why accept these recommendations only in principle? The structure should be there at this point to be able to put them, at the very least, into the "accept" bracket and take them out of the "accepted-in-principle" bracket.

The one that the Government has earmarked for further evaluation is the national defence academy and an apprentice school to support future tech-enabled force. How does the Minister see those recommendations moving from accepted in principle to the area of further evaluation, to the delivery of the national defence academy? Does the Government intend to accept that proposed national defence academy?

I will ask further questions on gender. Recommendation 37 looked for, "a guaranteed minimum female participation rate of 35% on all command and other relevant career courses by 2025". It was, again, accepted in principle. How will the new gender adviser of whom the Minister spoke determine any future decision by the Government with regard to that 35% rate? What impact is recruitment having on attaining that rate of 35%?

The Minister spoke about Gormanston and the potential reworking of the site. Are there any other facilities that the Department has looked at or that military management has flagged as being of potential further or new use around the academy for cyber and intelligence?