Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is just over a year since the White Paper was published. We all welcome it and wish to see it implemented. I and my party would go further and ensure a significant increase in the number of personnel, if possible. However, we will have to wait for that. I ask the Minister to publish regular updates on the progress made towards achieving the 88 actions. Perhaps that could be done twice a year - once at the end of the year and once mid-year. The Minister could attend a meeting of the committee on foreign affairs and defence to update members on the implementation of the 88 actions perhaps a fortnight or three weeks after the publication of such a report. Members could then have a detailed discussion each January when the Dáil resumes and early in July just before the summer recess. This would be very useful and informative, especially for communicating the good work of our Defence Forces. It would be beneficial, in terms of working with the Department, the Defence Forces and the various representative organisations, if we worked collectively on monitoring the implementation of the 88 actions to ensure there is accountability and regular updates for Members from the Minister and his Department.

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