Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

For many years I have been highlighting what the Naval Service does in respect of fishing. Somebody questioned the link between the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Defence in respect of the same Minister having responsibility for the both Departments. For many years and across a number of Governments, the marine and defence areas were linked because of the role of the Naval Service in fisheries protection.

I want to raise the profile of our Defence Forces from the point of view of the Army, the Air Corps and the Naval Service. Very few people serve the State in the way the Defence Forces do. It is a form of patriotism that we do not see in too many Irish people. Our Defence Forces perform an extraordinarily professional role at home and abroad and it is something that is taken for granted by people, but it should not be.

The White Paper on defence is an opportunity to highlight the service and talk about it in the future. I hope to have a draft on my desk by the end of the year so that we can have an active discussion in the new year about developing, amending and improving the draft.

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