Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)

Cathaoirleach, I congratulate you on your elevation as Cathaoirleach and I wish you well in it. I look forward to working with you. I concur with a lot of what was said in your opening remarks.

Regarding the sphere and remit of the committee, I have concerns about it because there has been some debate about it. It is a very important committee. There has been some commentary and some exchanges about it in the public realm. We need to be able to clearly define what the role of this committee is. Like the previous speaker pointed out, it is either a committee with a remit in terms of national security and defence or it is not. National security is national security. This committee should not be restricted to one part of that. Maybe we need an honest debate or a short, open discussion around how we deal with this because if it is defence and national security, who is putting the limit on that? Is it the Government? Is it the Civil Service? As a new member of this committee, I do not know. The public does not know. We need to be clear because if we start off blind and find that we are restricted here and there in terms of what we can discuss here and who we can call in, then the committee is spanceled from day one. We have to be absolutely clear about it. I am saying that as somebody who wants to protect our national security. Like the Cathaoirleach, I want to see the members of the Defence Forces fully resourced, looked after properly and fit for purpose. The Army Reserve is an area that needs to be dealt with as well. It would be useful to have that clarified and to find out exactly where we are going with this. I wish the Cathaoirleach well.