Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Professor Cottey and Dr. McDonagh. We are in a changed geopolitical set-up. We probably had a certain element of consistency over many years that Vladimir Putin has turned on its head. Some will say we could look back at what he said and did previously and that perhaps there were lessons, but sometimes these things can be missed.

When strategic autonomy is discussed at a European level, it has almost been decoupled from the security aspect. The whole idea of globalisation also got thrown on its head. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we had the problem that due to changes in what people were using semi-conductors for, we found ourselves in a situation where we did not have enough semi-conductors for new cars and so on. That was something that needed to happen. When some legislation was going through the Oireachtas, such as the ComReg legislation, suddenly question marks were raised about certain communications technology and whether it would be acceptable in the future to use some of it without any protection in our network and communication infrastructure. Everyone sees that part. Never mind the necessity to move to renewables, especially wind power, it is fair to say we can see that is vital from an energy security point of view, never mind anything else. We all know we can be a superpower and change the whole energy map for Europe. With respect to that and strategic autonomy and so on, very few will refuse to buy into that issue.

This is the matter I would like the witnesses to respond to. I will be honest. At times I would have seen cybersecurity as almost a stalking or Trojan horse scenario to get us to a place where we were moving away from our position of non-alignment, but we have learned that cybersecurity and non-linear or hybrid warfare is simply a reality we are dealing with. We have had to put more money and resources into the National Cyber Security Centre, NCSC, and there will be other actions. It is vital we use our own know-how, particularly in the institutes of education and so on, but it is also vital we deal with our European partners and so forth in that field.

I do not see any real need for us to move from what people call neutrality or non-alignment. The previous Taoiseach pointed out that no one expects us to be a military superpower. The witnesses have already spoken about the commission and that we need to look at what non-alignment or neutrality mean. We must be able to wash our face in that sphere. We are aware of the issues as regards staff retention in the Defence Forces. Those issues all need to be addressed properly. The witnesses talked about the strategic compass and some of the conversations that happen from citizens through to parliamentarians and commissioners, even conversations on qualified majority voting, QMV, versus unanimity. Europe has shown that when people want to and when it is in their interest, we are able to operate on an opt-in scenario, of making determinations there and then. That can relate to anything, such as dealing with buying vaccines during the Covid-19 crisis. We were able to do it in health where we did not have a competence. There is room for manoeuvre and sometimes we can overplay the worry that we are dealing with some players who are not necessarily straight players at a European level. I am talking about Viktor Orbán and Hungary. I probably did not need to point that out. That is where we are.

I am aware of an argument at European level in which some say there is no element of finding a means of Europe shaping things. As regards security and defence, that can only happen on the basis of agreement across the board about whatever moves may be necessary at certain times. A considerable number of us would not like to be hitching our wagon to NATO on the basis that we could not stand over a significant amount of what NATO has done over many years, especially American foreign policy. I will mention Iraq, never mind any other issue, such as South and Central America.

I accept a conversation is happening.