Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)

In response to a parliamentary question to my colleague Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire last month, the Taoiseach said that the development of Ireland's first national security strategy is still ongoing, almost seven years after a Government commission called for it. The report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland recommended the immediate establishment of a strategic threat analysis centre, headed by a full-time national security adviser. This was a much-needed and welcome development but it is extremely disappointing that it has not developed to any great extent beyond this announcement. It is long past time that the Government got serious in the area of security and defence. We have a recruitment and retention crisis in our Defence Forces. Key personnel are leaving the Defence Forces and we need to put a halt to this. We need to ensure our Defence Forces are protected and invested in. In a time of ever-increasing global instability and of irresponsible and dangerous rhetoric by those in positions of great power, such as Ursula von der Leyen, it is more important now than ever that Ireland stands for peace and neutrality and has an effective security strategy in the face of the dangerous militarisation agenda driven by power, greed and war.

Almost seven years after a Government commission called for Ireland's first national security strategy, will the Taoiseach give a firm timeline and a direct answer on its delivery?

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