We need to have a debate on that. We also have a Senator or two down there. I will very quickly mention another thing. Galway Bay FM has contacted me and, I am sure, most other Senators about the need for funding for reporting on local elections, local democracy issues and so on. The Taoiseach has promised that funding will be forthcoming once any European competition issues have been overcome. These stations are desperate for funding. I ask that we expedite that as quickly as possible and get them the funding they…

The Minister of State was spokesperson on defence in a former life. The notion that a country would not have sovereign capability in search and rescue is repugnant to any reasonable person. The Irish Air Corps put a 415-page document together as part of their bid to take just one base. We wanted CHC, the SAR operator, to hold three bases and the Air Corps to take just one base. I made predictions to both Ministers, who both wrote to me and said they did not know what is going on but that they trusted the public ser…

The crash of Rescue 116 left the Department exposed as a Department that was unable to oversee the search and rescue system in Ireland. As my colleague has pointed out, 80% of the crew of one base is about to be withdrawn for training with Bristow Ireland. This means that this base must close. I am asking the Minister whether he is prepared to call in the Irish Aviation Authority immediately. There is no aviator among the Minister of State's staff. Any team that is put together by the Department to oversee this doe…

In respect of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023, are we going to stop on Committee Stage today or are we going to go on to Report Stage? I ask because I am not quite sure where we are going with it.

Okay. Following on from Senator Paddy Burke and the issue of oversight, we had a Commencement matter debate this morning on the search and rescue, SAR, contract awarded to Bristow. In his reply, the Minister of State, Deputy Jack Chambers, spoke about how the process was overseen by an external body that reported to the Department. The process that was overseen was an administrative issue, concerned with whether the letters were signed, the relevant dates met, etc. It does not secure certainty, for me or anybody el…

The Bill contains vague language such as "from time to time". That is not good enough when it comes to legislation. We need to know there will be a directive from, perhaps, the Minister that once the Bill is passed, there will be an onus on the authority to produce a report, whether biannually or at certain times. The phrase "from time to time" is very vague. I will not talk forever on this.

I have to concur with my colleague. Intelligence services are not normally not part of a police force. An intelligence service is a very different thing. If we go through Europe, we will not find police and intelligence services mixed together. My colleague has adverted to the vacancy for the head of intelligence. It is absurd that we would employ somebody from outside the State as the head of intelligence in this country. Perhaps this is an opportunity because-----

Perhaps there will be an opportunity on Report Stage-----

Stick with me on this.

I am getting there. Perhaps there will be an opportunity on Report Stage to table an amendment with specifics-----

Specifics could be introduced whereby we would cover off these areas. I agree with Senator Chambers on this issue.

To double up on what my colleague has said, this week we had a report of a Russian submarine off the coast of Cork.

I am not-----

When the Cathaoirleach mentioned the cables across the Atlantic the confusion as to who is responsible for what in this country is totally unacceptable.

It is relevant when we are talking about the Garda. We need to know who is responsible for what because we do not know. My colleague is 100% correct. We have been raising for months the issue of who is in charge of intelligence and security in this country. The bottom line is that there is an opportunity now to open the conversation. If we are not going to change the Bill, there is an opportunity to open the conversation and analyse what is done elsewhere in the world, rather than being tied into something historic…

I am anxious to know how many people are employed in the intelligence group that is working under the Department of the Taoiseach.

I think it is.

National cybersecurity is based in the Department with responsibility for communications. The Minister will find that in Israel, for example, the director of national cybersecurity is in the office of the prime minister. Most directors elsewhere are at government level and not subject to some department's oversight. They work directly for the prime minister. We really need to look at our security systems.

On a point of order, there are 999 city and county councillors watching this and waiting for amendments that concern them. This is not good.

The Cathaoirleach is doing fine.