Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the question. The Irish Defence and Security Association, IDSA, was established in 2021 with a mission "to ensure Ireland develops appropriate, leading-edge and trusted defence and security capabilities in the land, sea, air, space and cyber domains, in order to protect our society, create jobs, drive research and enhance Ireland’s economic growth". That is a quotation from its mission statement. National defence industry associations are the norm in many EU member states, providing support to industry operating in defence markets in a number of ways, by creating networks, disseminating information and assisting contractors to find suitable subcontractors. They are particularly important for small and medium-sized enterprises.

My Department was supportive of the establishment of the IDSA and welcomed its role in providing a conduit for information to defence and dual-use industry and research institutions and academia. Prior to the visit by the chief executive of the European Defence Agency, Mr. Jirí Šedivý, to Ireland in September 2023, the Department was asked by the EDA to facilitate a meeting between the EDA chief executive and Irish industry. The Department passed this request to the IDSA. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Šedivý. The chair of the IDSA, Mr. Pat O'Connor was in attendance with a number of representatives from the association. In his role as chief executive, Mr. Šedivý has regular dialogue with the participating member states of the EDA, which includes national defence industry associations, to discuss opportunities within the agency for industry and academia.

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