Defence and Security Committee must be empowered to hold National Security Strategy to account
Defence and Security Committee must be empowered to hold National Security Strategy to account - The Labour Party
Labour’s defence spokesperson Duncan Smith TD has welcomed the publication of the Defence Spending Plan to run to 2030.
However Deputy Smith cautioned that the National Security Strategy has yet to be published, and must be made public without delay.
Deputy Smith said:
“The international landscape is evolving, and Ireland must be able to navigate it effectively. The move by the Defence Minister to publish this spending plan is welcome, but we need to understand the strategy that is underpinning this money.
“For months, the Labour Party has been urging Government to publish Ireland’s National Security Strategy. The Government launched a national consultation on this security strategy in 2019, yet we have yet to see any formal publication by this Government.
“This strategy must outline the manner in which Ireland can maintain our proud neutrality, whilst also demonstrate that we can manage our own security. The recent events of the Zelenskyy visit have brought this crucial need into sharp focus.
“If this Government were serious about our nation’s security, it would publish this strategy, and ensure that the Defence and Security Committee have real powers to hold the implementation of that strategy to account.
“We have to take our national security seriously. It’s imperative that we know what is going on in our seas and our skies, and this can be and must be done whilst safeguarding our proud and credible neutrality. The National Security Strategy is central to this and its absence it’s deeply concerning.“