Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

The Minister is aware that an air intercept capability was identified as a need in the early part of the decade. Why has this need gone off the radar? I realise such a facility will cost money but as the Minister has pointed out he is chair of the Government task force on emergency planning, established following the events of 11 September 2001 in New York. One area Ireland could be under threat from is the air.

I recently saw a television programme on the genocide in Rwanda between the Tutsis and Hutus while Ireland, a European Union member state, stood by. There is nothing inherently moral about being neutral. What will Ireland do if it comes under threat from the air? Ireland is a neutral country without the capability to protect itself. Will the Minister explain what provisions are in place for an air attack, without telling me the secrets of Fatima?

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