I know it is the left and the far left but Deputy Gibney is well able to speak for herself and it is her question. Switzerland follows international law very well. Does anybody doubt the neutrality of the Swiss? They do not have a triple lock. Does anybody doubt the neutrality of Austria? They do not have a triple lock. This is trying to whip up a frenzy. I have heard it: "Simon Harris and Micheál Martin want to send…
TDs / Simon Harris
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Plus 2,685 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
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- constituency Wicklow 29 November 2024 to now
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Where are we going to send the peacekeepers if we are reliant on the UN Security Council providing a peacekeeping mission?
Where are we going to send Irish peacekeepers, considering it has not supported any peacekeeping missions since 2014 and has now effectively ended-----
-----the largest overseas peacekeeping mission we are involved in? Where are we going to send them?
We are going to be sending them on peacekeeping missions that are consistent with the UN Charter and the approval of the Government and the approval of the Dáil. I do not understand-----
The triple lock-----
-----requires the UN Security Council.
The Deputy was late to my initial remark. I am very happy to have a conversation with Deputies Murphy, Gibney and Ó Laoghaire about how we can strengthen within the legislation references to the UN Charter. I even have some ideas I am happy to discuss with them about how we can oversight mechanisms in making sure anything our peacekeepers go on is consistent with the UN Charter. That is 100%. I value the UN. The UN i…
In the current manifesto-----
The leader of Fianna Fáil, the Taoiseach of the country, was very clear in his views on the triple lock.
He proposed it when he was Minister for Defence. I have been crystal clear with regard to it as well. We had an election and formed a government. We do not need to run back to the people to have a referendum on every issue. We are very clear, and I believe the majority of people in this country trust their own democracy and certainly not Russia's as to where our peacekeepers go.
I thank the Deputy as one of the few Members who has worn the uniform and represented our country with distinction in Óglaigh na hÉireann and indeed in southern Lebanon. She is someone who can speak with authority on a lot of these issues. I thank her for raising the matter.
She will be aware that there has been significant progress made on pay and conditions for Defence Forces personnel, particularly over the past …
I can confirm that this matter was raised with the Department by military management and that business case was subsequently shared with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. The Representative Association for Commissioned Officers, RACO, has also raised it with the Department on a number of occasions during its formal conciliation council meetings with the De…
I acknowledge the point the Deputy made. The men and women of Óglaigh na hÉireann, those who serve our country and wear the uniform, do absolutely serve with distinction. I am extraordinarily proud of them and the honour they bring here, at home and abroad. I know that is a sense shared across this House and certainly across society as well. I thank RACO and PDFORRA for the advocacy they carry out on behalf of their …
I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 11, 12, 39 and 55 together. There is a very fair question on this later. The deployment of any troops to Ukraine would have to be in the context of a peace agreement. We are not talking about sending our troops to a warzone or a place where there is an active war. It would only be in the context of a peace agreement. I do not believe we should recuse ourselves from that conversatio…
I think he meant it in a different way.
To be clear on this Ukraine issue - I never wished to accuse the Deputy of this but there is an effort to be a bit mischievous here - there is no question whatsoever of Irish troops being deployed to a war or playing any role in anything other than peacekeeping. We live on the Continent of Europe and I believe we have an obligation to assist in peacekeeping on our Continent should that situation arise. It is beyond a…
It is possible in that scenario that the UN Security Council, because Russia is on it. The Deputy does not know that and I do not know that. However, it is also possible, in answer to Deputy Clendennen's question, that we could see a scenario more broadly - and I am not talking about Ukraine - where EU countries may wish to deploy peacekeepers, where the OSCE may wish to deploy peacekeepers or where there may be regi…
I accept the point the Deputy is making on the UN Charter's reference to the UN Security Council.
However, I think the principles of the UN Charter matter. I am happy to tease out that legislation. It may suit Members to try to divide us further on this issue but what we are trying to do is a modest proposal. We are trying to produce primary legislation that makes it clear we are only interested in deploying our tro…
I thank the Deputy for reading the manifesto. We made it clear, and I recall making it clear, during the general election, but I appreciate the Deputy reading the manifesto. I closely read the Sinn Féin manifesto.
I have quite a few things to say. To Deputy Clendennen's point, we should acknowledge the men and women serving at Camp Shamrock. We all do so, and that is an important point. It has been a difficult perio…
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The critical entities resilience, CER, directive is part of the European Union-wide effort to increase the resilience of essential services that provide vital societal functions in all member states of the European Union. My Department has transposed this directive by way of the resilience of critical entities regulations 2024. I am pleased that Ireland was among the first m…
I thank Deputy Ó Muirí. I agree with everything he said. To state the obvious, it is true that we are all living in a world that is becoming so much more interdependent. That is why it is right that Europe lead on this in demanding that all member states put in place plans but also learn from each other in relation to this.
To expand a little more, the strategy will set out our national approach, our strategic objec…
I agree with that 100%. I fully support swift progress on the programme for Government commitments on this. For far too long, politics here has been prisoner to ideology rather than the obligations we have as a Government and Oireachtas to make sure key services, including the provision of energy, an absolutely vital component, can continue in a whole variety of situations. I assure the House that while we obviously …
I thank Deputy Keogh for raising this issue. This is an area I want us to do so much better on. There is already good work done in relation to veterans. I am very pleased that my Department provides funding to a number of veteran associations. I have met and visited them. How we support, acknowledge and recognise the role of men and women who served in Óglaigh na hÉireann, at home and abroad, is really important. I f…
I thank the Deputy for mentioning Gena Heraty. It gives me an opportunity to pay tribute to her. I had the honour of speaking to her on the phone a while back. She is the closest thing I have ever encountered to a living saint. In Westport, County Mayo, and right across Ireland, there is great relief that Gena has been released from captivity. I thank her for the incredible work she does. I think of her family, who w…
I fully agree. You are entirely right. If I felt everything was perfect, I would not passionately believe we need to establish the office of veteran affairs. The Deputy is entirely right. There is a need for a greater sustained focus and co-ordination on the range of issues veterans can experience in the here and now, as the Deputy said, immediately after leaving the Defence Forces and returning from a mission, but a…