Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I thank Senator Craughwell for tabling this motion. It deals with an issue about which he feels passionately.

I would like to talk about some of the general principles concerning this issue. Like others, I pay tribute to all those who have worked and lost their lives in the SAR service. It is an enormously important State service. In that regard, in principle I am concerned that we are overly reliant on for-profit providers in what I view as an essential State service. I view something like this as part of a broader question that we need to ask about national security. It is in that context that I make my remarks. We need to move towards a single Air Corps SAR base that would have 24-hour helicopter response capability. We should have surveillance aeroplanes in place and we should also have the necessary primary military radar.As we have seen, particularly in the context of the recent cyberattack, the battles we will face will be very different from those faced previously. The role of SAR needs to be integrated into other areas of defence capability.

In the context of a value-for-money audit, it is important to note that if assets are purchased by the State through a State agency, at the end of the contract, such as a ten-year contract, we would have two or three helicopters as State assets that could continue to be used. That would not necessarily be the case if a private provider is contracted to provide the service. I hope that will be taken into account.

Another issue that needs to be considered, particularly given that Covid has clearly reinforced the need for the State to maintain certain key capabilities, is that members of the Air Corps cannot strike, unlike private providers. There are good reasons that those involved in providing certain essential services are not allowed to strike. That is a factor that needs to be taken into account.

There is a broader question in the context of upskilling the military. The military has helicopters and surveillance planes. I am of the view that we need to go further in terms of what is required in that context. We need co-ordinated action through which these assets can be maximised, and that includes fisheries protection. Increasingly, there will be a requirement to use the Air Corps to address some of the concerns relating to fisheries.

In light of the direction in which we are going, particularly with cybersecurity and other areas, is it appropriate for a contractor from outside the European Union to carry out what is essentially a sovereign task? Members have referred to the systems in operation in other countries. There is a question around a service that is as important as search and rescue being provided by a contractor that may be from outside the European Union. Consideration should also be given to the capability of the Air Corps in that regard.

In the long term, we need to look at a more integrated approach and moving the Coast Guard into the Department of Defence. We should establish a national intelligence agency under civil control that would operate outside the Departments of Defence and Justice. The Department of Defence needs to take a full lead on the issue of cyberdefence.

I am in agreement with much of what Senator Craughwell is saying in terms of the principle. Obviously, I will be supporting the Government amendments and I am conscious that we are in the middle of a tender process but there are broader questions that need to addressed here around the kind of challenges we will face in the next decade, including the integration of the Air Corps with SAR services, the Coast Guard and fisheries protection services. We need to look at this matter in the context of defending our economic interests as well.

I welcome this important debate. The concerns that have been expressed need to be taken on board. I look forward to the broader debate on the Defence Forces, which had to be postponed, and to hearing the outcome of the report of the commission on the Defence Forces. That is really important. The recent cyberattack emphasises the need to invest in the sector more than ever before.