John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

I support Senator Finucane's call for a debate on defence and anti-terrorism issues in light of President Bush's upcoming visit. I listened with some dismay to the Minister for Defence on "Today with Pat Kenny" trying to reassure the public that he has a plan for this visit when he clearly does not and neither does the Government. Instead of a situation where the Army guards bank trucks and little else, we should ensure it is in a position to defend the interests of the country.