Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together.

The members of Cabinet committee F are as follows: the Taoiseach; the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade; the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform; the Minister for Justice and Equality; the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation; the Minister for Health; the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment; the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport; the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government; and the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach with responsibility for defence. The Garda Commissioner and Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces also attend. Other Ministers may be invited to attend, as appropriate, depending on the business in hand.

The committee last met on 7 November. That meeting was attended by: the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade; Minister for Justice and Equality; Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment; Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government; and the Minister of State with responsibility for defence. Also in attendance were key personnel from the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána together with a number of civil servants.

The role of Cabinet committee F is to keep the State's systems for the analysis of, preparation for, and response to, threats to national security under review as well as to provide for high-level co-ordination between relevant Departments and agencies on related matters. The Cabinet committee allows greater ministerial involvement in preparing for and managing major security threats.

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