Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome all the witnesses. I thank them all sincerely for long and distinguished service on behalf of the State. It is good to see our former colleague, Dr. Cathal Berry, on the call as well.

I have a question in general terms to all the witnesses. Regarding this current debate on the triple lock, has there been a build up to the point where we are now having this conversation? Have they, during their active service, highlighted the problem as regards deployment of personnel abroad? The first deployment was 1958. Has there been many instances when, in an ideal world, we should have been deploying personnel but because we could not get the five security members to sign off on it, it did not happen?