Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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29. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the status of additional initiatives the Defence Forces are taking in the wake of various international terror attacks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3456/18]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The White Paper on Defence, published in the Autumn of 2015, considered the security environment, including the threat from international terrorism. It notes that the Department of Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána have primary responsibility for protecting the internal security of the State. The Defence Forces provide, on request, supports in aid to the civil power (ATCP) of an ongoing and contingent nature.

In this context, the security environment is kept under constant review. An Garda Síochána can request a broad range of supports from the Defence Forces including Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams and the Army Ranger Wing. On-going coordination and liaison meetings take place between the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána and, based on on-going threat assessments, the Gardaí and the Defence Forces liaise with regard to possible Defence Forces supports required for a range of contingencies.  In this context, I can confirm that there is very active cooperation between an Garda Síochána and Defence Forces including exercises. For example, in December 2017, the Defence Forces, in cooperation with An Garda Siochana, conducted a large scale exercise in the Dublin area based on a terrorism-related scenario.

Defence Forces contingency plans and operational orders are continuously reviewed,  amended and reissued as required. Military skills, which are integral elements of the Defence Forces training, are regularly exercised and tested in responding to terrorist threats.

The White Paper on Defence set the defence capability agenda for the next decade. In recognising the dynamic nature of the security environment, the Government decided that the Defence Forces would continue to retain a range of flexible conventional military capabilities, in order to meet the roles assigned and as a hedge to future uncertainty.

There are a broad range of White Paper projects currently being implemented which are intended to identify, and develop and maintain such capabilities. It remains a top priority for me and my Department to implement the White Paper projects and ensure that the operational capacity of the Defence Forces is maintained to the greatest extent possible.