Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I might be so bold as to suggest that at some stage we would refuse to process legislation, while our secretarial assistants are being treated the way they are being treated. This came before the commission three years ago, when I was sitting on it and nothing has been done. It is really outrageous. In any other organisation the secretarial assistants would be supported. We should consider whether or not we would be unwilling to process legislation until there is some action. I spoke yesterday about the overarching power of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. We need to re-examine whether we do need a Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. It was needed at the time it was brought in, but I am not so sure that it is needed now.

I read today and yesterday in the newspapers of Ireland’s inability to protect the undersea cables coming into this country. The reason is that An Garda Síochána are responsible for it, but they do not go to sea. The Naval Service could go to sea, if they had enough people. The Naval Service is currently operating at 65% capacity. I am going to suggest something today that people outside would scream to the high heavens about. It is time we had a referendum in this country to increase our number of senior Ministers. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Simon Coveney, is a wonderful Minister for Foreign Affairs. He is held in high esteem across the world. Asking him to be Minister for Defence at the same time simply does not work. Having the same person hold the role of Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications and the role of Minister for Transport does not work. There are too many different issues calling on their time. The bottom line, from a defence point of view, is that this country is being left defenseless. Soon, one of the fastest cables in the world is going to land in the Acting Leader’s constituency in Galway. It will come down from Iceland. We cannot protect that. We do not have the legislation to protect it or the personnel to protect it. I think that there is nobody in charge of defence and security in this country. We have to do something about that urgently.