John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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6. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence for an update on the development of a national maritime security strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31156/25]

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Minister is aware, the Commission on the Defence Forces report proposed the development of a national maritime security strategy. I hear welcome news this morning that a public consultation process on the development of the strategy has been opened as of this morning. Will the Minister provide us with further information as to how the strategy will develop and evolve from here towards its completion? Will he provide a timeframe as to when we will see the strategy completed and ready to be enacted?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Connolly for highlighting this important matter, that is, the need to have Ireland’s first ever maritime security strategy. I heard it said that we would have a new maritime security strategy in place by the end of the year. While it is true that it will be in place by the end of the year, it will be Ireland’s first ever maritime security strategy. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I am launching a public consultation on Ireland’s first ever national maritime security strategy today. The purpose of this strategy is to map out our country’s approach to maritime security over the next five years, with a particular focus on dealing with emerging threats and vulnerabilities and protecting our subsea infrastructure. The public consultation will run for four weeks. I invite individuals and groups with an interest in this area to make a submission. The intention is to have a new maritime security strategy approved and published before the end of this year.

We are an island nation with one of the largest sea areas in Europe. It is absolutely vital we have a robust and effective maritime security strategy in place. This strategy will be crucial to assessing any potential threats and vulnerabilities. We need to have a particular focus on protecting our undersea infrastructure. I invite the many people who have an interest and expertise in this area to make their views known and to bring forward their ideas on how we can put in place a strategy that will ensure we take this critical opportunity to have a new and robust approach in order to safeguard our waters. I hope we can have open and constructive dialogue in order to get this strategy right in the time ahead. It is the first strategy of its kind. We need to prioritise the risks and threats we face in our maritime domain and then include a plan to address the most urgent and immediate concerns.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister has outlined well the potential threats that exist to our subsea cable infrastructure and to other aspects of our maritime domain, which require addressing and this strategy. One other recommendation that came from the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces was that the powers required by the Naval Service for effective enforcement in support of national security in the maritime domain should be addressed as there appears to be some inconsistency between the pieces of legislation in this area. Has the Minister any plans to address that issue? There seems to be an inconsistency between the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006, the Maritime Security Act 2004 and the Maritime Safety Act 2005. Is a consolidating piece of legislation needed in this area?

One further recommendation of the Commission on the Defence Forces was the development of a naval base for the Naval Service Reserve in Galway. This should form part of this strategy. The Naval Service has no coastal cover on the west coast between Limerick and Donegal. A naval base in Galway, therefore, would be appropriate.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Connolly and the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, who agrees with him. I thank him for highlighting this matter. There are a couple of things in this regard. The Deputy is right that the Commission on the Defence Forces recommended exactly what he said it did. I will bring forward, either over the summer or early in the autumn, the next iteration of the implementation plan for the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces where we will take forward more recommendations. We are also looking at a new national security plan for Ireland more broadly, which will be co-ordinated by the Department of the Taoiseach. Its purpose will be to ensure there are no silos or, as the Deputy mentioned, overlapping pieces of legislation. The maritime situation can also be considered in that context.

On the issue of the naval base, I will speak directly to the leadership of the Defence Forces to get their sense on this matter. There will absolutely be a need for more naval bases in our country. There is no doubt about that.

In the time available to me, I wish to say that getting this strategy right is so important. We live in a country where approximately 78% of our energy needs are imported on ships or via pipelines, approximately 90% of our trade is transported by sea and 95% of international data and voice transfers are routed through our undersea fibreoptic cables. The majority of transatlantic data passes through cables situated in Ireland’s economic exclusive zone.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome that the Minister will engage with Defence Forces personnel regarding a base for the Naval Service Reserve in Galway. There is little coastal coverage for the Naval Service between Limerick and Donegal, which is quite a wide area. Some of the subsea cables to which the Minister referred come into the country through Galway, including some of the transatlantic ones. Indeed, some cables come in north of Galway as well. One cable comes inland in County Mayo.

Of course, Galway already has Defence Forces personnel within the city. We have Dún Uí Mhaoilíosa Barracks in Renmore, which the Minister has visited twice since his appointment. In the context of the recommendations of the Commission on the Defence Forces, this recommendation for a base for the Naval Service Reserve is a prudent one. It would fit well into the development of the national maritime security strategy and a national security plan.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I hear the compelling case Deputy Connolly is making loud and clear. I will talk to the Naval Service directly and to the Chief of Staff with regard to our plans for the expansion of naval bases in the country. I am proud to acknowledge, as the Deputy has acknowledged, the great tradition Galway has in its contribution to Óglaigh na hÉireann. I had the honour of visiting Renmore on two occasions to see the proud sense there is in Galway of the contribution that Renmore and our Defence Forces based there have made.

I always like to recall the fact that we live in a country where approximately 80% of our population live in coastal counties. While we have a small geographic land mass, we have a massive amount of ocean around us. We are duty bound for our own people, and more broadly in the geopolitical and geosecurity area, to take this really seriously. We want to get maritime security right and have the strategy in place by the end of the year. I very much welcome constructive submissions.