Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In the programme for Government, under the subheading "Ireland-UK Relations", it is stated, "Building on the successful state visits [and so on], we will continue to enhance Ireland's relationship with the United Kingdom [and so forth]". Amid everything that has happened in the past two weeks, there was a very serious breach and leak of foreign affairs documentation. Our diplomats, as he knows, tour capitals across Europe and the rest of the world. They interview people, including senior people in governments, politicians, civil servants, judges and stakeholders in society. They do so to get some understanding of what drives policy in different capitals across Europe. I am a former Minister for Foreign Affairs and those documents are invaluable in building up what one could call low-grade intelligence in terms of understanding what is going on in other capitals to inform policy and the Government's response. Such a document - I cannot remember a precedent for this-----

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