Defence Forces
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-17
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Seán Crowe (SF), Dublin South-West

Many would say that we are going backwards rather than forwards. The Government put a plan forward but many would say that it reneged on that, particularly around pay and the poor conditions.
The Defence Forces' lack of anti-drone capability has quickly become an embarrassment to Ireland on the European stage. We had to go cap in hand to our neighbours and ask them for a dig out. Anti-drone systems were meant to have been delivered last autumn. Now, we are being told that they may not arrive until after the EU Presidency is over and the most pressing need for them over the last 12 months has passed. It is not just another missed deadline. It is a laundry list of missed and failed deadlines that sums up the Government's defence policy. Is the Government just saving the systems from wear and tear? When will the Government deliver a counter-unmanned aerial system, C-UAS? We need to secure sensitive areas. Why has it taken so long?
I have asked a number of questions. My apologies.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:38+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-17