Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Next week we will be discussing independence and it has two factors. There is independence in fact and independence in appearance. Next week we will be looking at Committee Stage of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024 and the issue of the independence of the external oversight body will arise. Every Member of this House who has spoken on Second Stage of the Bill has said that it is inappropriate for the Secretary General of the Department of Defence to be an ex officio member of that committee. Indeed, during the debate in the joint Oireachtas committee, the chair of that committee said that from time to time, the Secretary General would have to recuse herself from meetings because there would be a conflict of interest. I am bringing this up today because I would ask the Deputy Leader to bring to the attention of the Minister that there is an unanimous view in this House that it would be wrong for the Secretary General to be an ex officio member of that body.

Recent events in the Defence Forces have made it important that the representative bodies have a right to speak out and, again, this legislation which is coming through the House gags both PDFORRA and RACO from speaking on matters relating to Government policy, etc. When that Bill comes back to this House next week, we must really have a look at what is going on and how we are trying to gag and, if you like, control everything to do with the Defence Forces. It is a proud body of people and there are some colleagues here in the Public Gallery today who have served this country with distinction. As I said yesterday, there are 300 of our brave men and women in Lebanon right now and we have no idea what will spark off over the next few days.

I ask the Secretary General herself to recuse herself from that committee, if she is not asked to do so by the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence. I ask the Deputy Leader to relay those comments directly to the Tánaiste for me. I thank the Cathaoirleach.