Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage
Seanad Éireann — 2024-07-03
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Micheál Martin (FF), Cork South-Central

I am not sure about political controversy, because one person's mundane political matter is another person's political controversy. It is not clear how that would add clarity. People did listen to Senator McDowell about the issue of independence. It was noted. I am informed that it has been reflected upon and it is believed that the term "political organisation" covers and will be commonly interpreted as covering more than traditional political parties. Many Independents have political organisations as well, including their own, if necessary. That could be a passing phase but, increasingly, Independents are tending to band together as Independents, but that is not the point the Senator is making. There can be an Independent but that Independent invariably has an organisation. It is a legal definition of a point but we are satisfied that it is covered by the language.
The key line is about while a member is in uniform or making himself or herself identifiable. It is about maintaining the primacy of our apolitical Defence Forces. It is in the context of facilitating the membership of ICTU on an association basis by PDFORRA and RACO. That is a good day's work. It is progress.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2024-07-03/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:53:09+00:00
Sitting date: 2024-07-03