Departmental Policies
Seanad Éireann — 2026-01-21
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Garret Ahearn (FG), Administrative Panel

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, for his comments. Like me, he has visited Ukraine many times and has a keen interest in the country. I welcome the line from the Minister, Deputy McEntee, that a well-designed local participation framework is both pragmatic and beneficial to Ireland and Irish companies.
This is common practice in other EU states. Spain requires significant industrial participation in defence contracts. Finland mandates industrial co-operation for large procurements. Denmark links industrial co-operation obligations to contract value. Germany embeds domestic industry involvement in major programmes. This happens right across the European Union. We would not be an outlier. What we are essentially saying is that the increased investment in defence should remain in Ireland.
Here is a simple analogy that the Minister of State will understand well. There are sports capital grants coming out some time this year. I hope some Tipperary applicants will be successful, including my local GAA club and the Minister of State's in Clare. If they are successful, we want local builders to get the jobs so the money stays local. It is no different in defence spending. If money is being spent, it should be spent in Ireland.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-01-21/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:31+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-21