Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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123. To ask the Minister for Defence if he will report on the recent symposium on the proposed White Paper on Defence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21732/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The symposium on the White Paper on Defence at Farmleigh House on 15 May provided a wide stakeholder group with the opportunity to hear alternative views, to learn from the experience of others and to debate the merits of differing courses of action. The approach of utilising open policy debates as a means to inform policy formulation is a key strategy within the Government's Civil Service Renewal Plan.

The audience comprised top level civil and military staff of the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces, representatives from across Irish State Departments, representatives from Irish and international think tanks and academic institutions, international organisations including EU, UN, NATO, Civil Defence, the Representative and official veterans Associations of the Defence Forces and other interested parties. 

The format consisted of panels of experts who gave their opinions on a number of topics throughout the day. The Symposium was structured to generate an interactive debate with the audience. Each panellist was given the opportunity to discuss the merits or otherwise of a particular approach. The discussion was then opened to the wider audience for debate.

The sessions were grouped around “policy emphases”. These represented key differences in “direction of travel” advocated by various interested parties in the course of the consultation process. The sessions were not designed to be exhaustive or mutually exclusive. Rather, they were intended to provide a framework within which particular courses of action could be championed and challenged.

I was very pleased with the open and positive discussion of the topics and the matters raised will be considered in the development of the White Paper.

I intend to bring a final draft of the White Paper to Government by the end of July. Subject to Government approval, the White Paper on Defence will then be published.