Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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144. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade how the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy will work; who the members of the forum will be; how 'expert' contributions will be selected by the forum; if contributions from the public will be accepted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18245/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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A Consultative Forum on International Security Policy will be convened with a view to initiating an open and evidence-based discussion on the State’s foreign and security policy. The Consultative Forum is designed to build public understanding and generate discussions on the link between the State’s foreign, security, and defence policies. 

The Consultative Forum will take place in three different locations across four days in June 2023; on 22 June at University College Cork, on 23 June at the University of Galway, and on 26-27 June at Dublin Castle. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Defence will work alongside the Chairperson, Louise Richardson DBE, on planning and delivering the Consultative Forum and associated events.

The Consultative Forum will be open and inclusive. It will involve a wide range of stakeholders, with participation from civilian and military experts and practitioners. Attendance at the Forum will consist of invited guests, from Ireland and internationally, with expertise and practical experience in the areas to be discussed. There will also be space reserved for attendance by the general public. Discussions will be live-streamed and there will be an option for online submissions. Anyone interested in engaging in the process will be able to do so.