They labelled everything I said about this as some attempt or strategy to end military neutrality. They immediately knee-jerked-----

-----their way into saying that is what I am about. The reason I recommended this format to the Government and to the Oireachtas is because, while Deputy Murphy has his views on neutrality and Irish foreign policy, I have views on Irish foreign policy, as does the party opposite and as do others. I believe this is a better forum because parties themselves might want to make submissions in line with their esprit de corps on foreign policy. It is a better format than a citizens' assembly for something so fundamental …

Yes. Deputy Murphy does not like debate-----

-----that is not on his terms and he lambasts anybody who suggests an open, transparent forum for a discussion on Irish foreign policy and an analysis of the security threats.

I will address Finland and Sweden first. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the manner in which that took place shocked Finland, which has navigated the relationship with Russia and the Soviet Union before it with great dexterity ever since its foundation, but it shook Finland to the core. I remember Finland's Prime Minister saying to me that everything they were taught in school and which they were taught to be afraid of had happened with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I met President Sauli Niinistö, a distingu…

I predicted this would happen. It is a nasty tactic of the far left, best exemplified by the Deputy here, to assassinate the person who is appointed. It is reprehensible behaviour but the Deputy does it all the time. His movement does it all the time. They attack the person who is appointed.

That person has a distinguished academic record. She was born in Waterford and rose to the top in the academic world in Oxford and the UK. She has a record in her own right as a political scientist. She is a person who will chair this consultative forum in an admirable, objective way. It speaks to the Deputy's hostility to anything this side of the House might suggest in respect of defence and security. He talks about subsea cables. Subsea cables are important to this country. They are important to many countries a…

-----with some countries which are in NATO.

There is nothing wrong. I will repeat what I am saying, just as there is nothing wrong with collaboration on cybersecurity. Look at what happened to our health service two years ago.

Look at what happened to our health-----

What is the Deputy saying about subsea security? Is it because it is not a public service?

For God's sake. I think the Deputy's entire approach is ridiculous, shallow and superficial.

It needs to be taken head on.

The Deputy's approach is about distortion and deliberately trying to obfuscate and undermine decent debate.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is currently undertaking a major review of its property footprint in Washington and London. The review is anchored in the Government’s Global Ireland initiative which commits to double the scope and impact of Ireland’s global footprint by 2025. The projects have been recognised as Strategic Investment Priorities under the National Development Plan 2021-2030 The aim of the review is to identify suitable premises for these key bilateral missions that will provide safe, secure and sus…

My Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship. Demand for this service increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK. The service was also impacted by necessary Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021 and the unprecedented demand for passports seen in …

With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued a passport to the applicant.

By the time of the budget last autumn, the European Central Bank had already increased interest rates twice. Despite that, Sinn Féin chose not to provide at all for mortgage holders in its budget submission. There was zero. Not a mention. That was Sinn Féin’s response to it. What I said earlier represents a very comprehensive and strategic approach by the Government to reduce costs generally for households, including those with mortgages. Essentially, we reduced tax in the budget. We have reduced the cost of public…

That is not something to be sniffed at or dismissed like the Deputy did earlier.

The military authorities have advised that Defence Force Regulation (DFR) A9 sets out the qualifying criteria required to be awarded Defence Forces Medals. The award of Service Medals for both Officers and Non Commissioned Officers and Privates is as follows: 1. DFR A9 Paragraph 4a provides that the qualifying service for the award of the Service Medal to an officer shall be satisfactory and continuous service in the Permanent Force for a period of 5,475 days or the aggregate of satisfactory and continuous service …