Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is echoing the point, in many respects, that was made by the Commission on the Defence Forces in its recent report. It noted that the Naval Service currently does not have the capabilities required to closely monitor activity below the waves. Obviously, that report came out before what appears to have been a malicious attack on the Nord Stream pipelines.

We need to be vigilant and prepared because attacks on cables coming across the Atlantic would have a significant impact not only on the defence of the country but also on our ability to provide services for the large number of commercial activities that operate in this country.

It is going to be difficult to keep up with the demands involved in defending the seas. When it comes to the allocation of capital resources, the Minister should continue to do what he is doing, which is to try to prioritise the Naval Service to ensure our waters are protected in the same way we must protect our landmass.

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