Defence and security neglect
Senator Craughwell accused the Taoiseach of presiding over decades of neglect of defence and security and criticised comments about cooperation with NATO countries.
In the newspaper today, I read that the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, condemns negative noise over defence and security. What a hard neck. He presided over this State for the past 20 years, in one way or another, as Taoiseach, Minister for Defence or Leader of the Opposition. He is culpable for the defenceless state of this country. He then lauds the co-operation there was in Copenhagen during the EU Presidency when Denmark suffered a drone attack and how all the neighbouring countries came to support Copenhagen. Does he realise they were all members of NATO and were obliged, under Article 5, to support each other? Is he that out of touch that he does not know that?
I now read we will have a French ship looking after our security during the EU Presidency. Will the Taoiseach bring that to this Parliament? Article 29 of the Constitution is very clear: the Taoiseach has two choices when it comes to the security of this country. One is that he can properly equip and set up the defence of this country through the Defence Forces and the Garda or the other is he can bring this plan to hire in security from foreign countries to the Dáil and have it debated in the Dáil, as is required under Article 29 of the Constitution. If you set aside any part of the Constitution at any time, you can set aside the entire Constitution. Is there no respect whatsoever for the Constitution that was put in place by the people of this country?
I believe the Taoiseach should come into this House and explain what he means about negative noise to me and to the other people who speak on defence in this country. We do not do it for the good of our health. We do it because we care deeply for this country and we are watching our country become the laughing stock of Europe. The Taoiseach has been in power, supporting power or the Minister for Defence over the past 20 years. He has questions to answer himself and should stop blaming those of us who call attention to the disastrous state in which they have left this country on coming into the Presidency of the EU.