Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry for arriving a little late. The ball game has changed for us in terms of the role and activities of our Defence Forces because of Britain's proposed withdrawal from the EU. Brexit will leave a big gap in terms of protecting our fisheries rights and many other aspects. I wish to mention the role played by our Naval Service in particular. I would like the Minister of State, perhaps when he gets the opportunity, to present a paper to us on the changes that he deems likely to take place. It is important that we discuss the potential impact of Brexit at this stage. There is a sense of denial among all of us about what will happen when Britain withdraws because I do not think anybody particularly wants to talk about the matter. The impact of Brexit will land on top of us and I would like to think that we are prepared.

We have a small Defence Forces doing exceptionally well in the fields they are in. There will be different problems for us in terms of fisheries protection, for example. It is a totally different ball game. I would like to think we are thinking about this and there is some forward planning that we could consider.

I am a former Minister for Defence. Ireland's role in peacekeeping is worth diamonds. We have built up a tremendous reputation and tremendous skills in the art of peacekeeping. It is not just about sending out a couple of hundred troops to wander around the place. They do the job in an expert way. I have been to Lebanon on numerous occasions to see these people in operation. I used to bring my wife with me and she was part and parcel of the entourage. She was brought into the homes of different people. It is about building up trust and communication within a community. They are brilliant and they are quite capable of using those skills in many parts of the world. We should be forward planning because of our small numbers and because Britain, which is our next door neighbour, will not be a member of the EU. Our fishery protection rights must also be looked after. We should know exactly what we intend to do. It is a different ballgame when our next-door neighbour is not a member of the same club. I get the impression, rightly or wrongly, that we do not like talking about it because we do not really want it to happen. It is a fact. There is not enough debate or discussion about this or preparation for it. The role of the Defence Forces will be different in this new context. Are there plans looking forward? If there are could we perhaps get the opportunity of discussing with the Minister of State and his staff what those plans will be?

That is the main point I wanted to make, without interfering with the very good work being done by the Defence Forces in various exercises around the world. We will have to think seriously about where we will be after the exit of our neighbour and what consequences it will have for us. I would like to see it down in black and white so we can consider it.