Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach’s predecessor, the current Tánaiste, set up a Cabinet subcommittee on national security, but the Taoiseach got rid of it. Why did he get rid of it? Recent events have shown us the real and serious concerns we have as a nation in modern times about security in all its facets. I say, “Well done” to Patrick Murphy and all his colleagues in west Cork for what they have achieved over the last number of weeks. However, we cannot outsource our security, whether that is online, offline, on land or on sea. We cannot outsource it.

The cyberattack on the HSE has shown our digital weaknesses. The Taoiseach set up a senior committee on national security, which does not have the Minister for Defence, the Minister for Justice, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Taoiseach or the Tánaiste on it. The Taoiseach got rid of the Cabinet subcommittee on security. When will the report on the Commission on the Defence Forces be published? Will he, on the foot of my request now, re-establish the Cabinet subcommittee on security?

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