Catherine Callaghan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A huge thank you to Major General O'Brien, Major General Brennan, Colonel Doyle and Dr. Berry for their time here today. It is incredible to think that, making a quick calculation, we have close on 150 years of military experience on the other side of the room today. It is wonderful to have that depth of experience to help inform us and to help us understand what is being put before us as part of the proposed defence (amendment) Bill 2025.

I would like to talk about professionalism. Professionalism in the Irish Defence Forces is mentioned in several places in the witnesses' statements. In particular, Colonel Doyle spoke of the many compliments he received from ambassadors and diplomats when he was in the United Nations HQ in New York on the professionalism and humanity of Irish UN peacekeepers. Professionalism is not something that just occurs naturally, it is something that has to be within the system of the Defence Forces. I would like to look at the level of safeguarding and the level of checks and balances within the Defence Forces and why we are calling for more scrutiny in that regard if we are getting rid of the triple lock, which is the requirement for the Irish State to ask permission from the US, the UK, France, Russia and China. Why do we have to ask them where to send our troops when we have the level of professionalism which no doubt we have within the Defence Forces?

People listening to this debate at home and the people I meet on the street are concerned about our young people. They are concerned that if we get rid of the UN mandate, the third part of our triple lock, we would be sending our young men and women soldiers abroad to fight. There is mention of war fighting. Is there a difference between a professional military peacekeeper or peace enforcer and a professional soldier?