Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am fully in agreement with the Minister. It needs to be an external oversight body that is not spancelled or conditioned in any way. That is why an argument can be made for excluding members of the Defence Forces because we do not want there to be lobbyists within it. However, I see the Secretary General as a lobbyist within it, who could condition the outcome. The Tánaiste made a strong point that engagement will be needed ex post facto with the recommendations, with the Secretary General and the line Minister. However, we are not talking about that. We are talking about the formulation of the strategy, the reports and recommendations internally and having the Secretary General, in other words, the representative of the Department, at the heart of that. The Minister for Defence is the corporation sole. The Department and the Secretary General is the Minister's agent, no matter how it is sliced and diced. That is a mistake in terms of having the type of independent oversight body that would be most effective. That is my submission.