John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I too eagerly await the publication of the commission's report but the critical thing is the actions that will stem from it. Unfortunately, the Minister has previously failed to deliver on the White Paper, which has ultimately landed us in a situation where we are unable to put ships at sea, and unable to ensure that not just our national security but that of Europe is protected. Stephen Malphrus stated, "When the [submarine] communication [cable] networks go down, the financial sector does not grind to a halt, it snaps to a halt." Ships from other countries are coming into our waters carrying out what can only be described as concerning activities and all we can do is sit back and monitor. We are not able to see what is actually going on and that is a direct result of our inability to put ships to sea or see what is going on under the water. We have a responsibility for everything up in the air, at surface level and at subsurface level so our hands are seriously tied behind our back.

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