Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have absolutely no hesitation in voting confidence in the Minister, Deputy Coveney, tonight. I do it for one reason and one reason only. Earlier this year he committed to implementing the findings of the Commission on Defence Forces, which is scheduled for submission in a few weeks' time. I very much look forward to the Minister, Deputy Coveney, still being in office so that I can hold him personally to account in that regard.

The people I represent do not want a new defence Minister who would come in here with brand new bright ideas and kick the can down the road for another four or five years. They need action and they need it now because our armed forces are in crisis. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, has proven he can act decisively when required. He deployed Irish troops to Afghanistan only a few weeks ago to save dozens of Irish lives in a meticulously planned and superbly executed operation, despite the resource constraints which everyone knows everything about. That is precisely the mettle and resolve we need to see from the Minister or from any Minister when tackling the structural issues in our military from December and beyond.

I empathise with the Minister that he is holding down two ministerial portfolios, which were held by two separate individuals up to a few years ago. It would be remiss of me were I not to point out that the Minister is spending much more time on foreign affairs than he is on defence and his troops are suffering disproportionately as a result.

However, it would be remiss of me not to point out that the Minister is spending a lot more time on foreign affairs than he is on defence and that his troops are suffering disproportionately as a result. His troops do not need to see him in New York. They need to see him in Newbridge, tackling the daily difficulties in our armed forces as soon as possible. I would be grateful if the Minister could take those constructive points on board.

In summary, the Minister has my absolute confidence but we need to improve expectations from a defence perspective. He has delivered in the foreign affairs arena - of that there is no doubt - but he has yet to deliver for defence and we need to see improvements in that regard.

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