Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 6:

In page 14, line 33, to delete "and" where it secondly occurs and substitute the following: "(c) the Secretaries General of those military representative associations authorised by the Minister as per subsection (3A) of the Defence (Amendment) Act 1990 (inserted by section 23(a)(iii) of the Defence (Amendment) Act 2024) who shall be ex officio members, and".

This amendment relates to the external oversight body and its establishment. The meeting we had with the members of the oversight body at the defence committee was really productive and progressive. On a legislative basis, the provision is very welcome. We certainly look forward to supporting the work of the body.

However, the membership of the Department's Secretary General, even in an ex officio capacity, is questionable. It is a question the Tánaiste has not answered to my satisfaction. I accept that the Secretary General might have a contribution to make and could act as a conduit between the external oversight body and the Minister. However, if we accept that position, the exact same rationale applies in respect of members of the military representative groups. The Oireachtas defence committee was united across the political groupings on this point. The Sinn Féin amendment seeks to extend ex officio membership to the secretaries general of the representative associations already recognised by the Department. We will also support alternative proposals from colleagues seeking to address this deficiency in the Bill. Unless the Tánaiste wants to undermine the body he is establishing in legislation, either the Secretary General has to go or the members of the representative groups should also be appointed to the external oversight body.

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