Catherine Callaghan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an gCathaoirleach on her appointment. This is my first ever committee meeting as a newly-elected TD and it is a subject about which I am very passionate as a former member of the Defence Forces and a former UN peacekeeper. I concur with my colleagues on the committee on the importance of ensuring we get those expert, objective people in to talk to us about what our neutrality means, what the triple lock means, what dismantling it would mean and what it would mean to relinquish it. I am very much looking forward to that.

Our Defence Forces need a lot of support, not just in terms of the current serving members but also our veterans. I concur with my colleague, Deputy O'Connell, that we need to look at increasing our numbers in the Reserve Defence Force. I would like to focus a lot on retention. We have a duty in this committee to really shine a light on and highlight the honourable service and contribution the members of the Defence Forces give to our State.

Regarding our national security, I concur with my colleagues that we really need to focus hugely on that. The title is there but it does not seem to be the case that we will have much ability to really expand on that. Defence and national security go hand in hand but the way in which our society, and society globally, is unfolding at the moment, it really needs to be a high priority for us.

I welcome Senator Wilson's comments that suggest we are not bound by this and that we set the agenda. I fully support that. I look forward to working with everybody.