We will continue to be vocal at an EU level and also on the UN Security Council, where our view has been made very clear. In many ways, that view is directly supported by the UN Secretary General, who has been very clear that the UN sees what is happening as a complete breach of international law and the UN Charter. Russia has to bear the responsibility for that. There is no justification for this in the context of Russia’s security concerns and so on. The EU has made it very clear that it is, of course, willing to…

I too welcome Ambassador Cronin to Dublin. She has made a big impact and has been here for only a few days. We look forward to working with her on so many files, from Northern Ireland to Russia-Ukraine to transatlantic relationships and so much more besides. I am very glad to have this opportunity to discuss this important and very sensitive issue. As I said in our debate earlier this month, the legacy of conflict and the past on this island and how we confront and address this chapter of our often troubled and pai…

Before I respond to what has been said, I, like others, express my condolences to the family of Christopher Stalford, who I knew quite well from time spent in Belfast. He was a tough negotiator, but he was deeply committed to his family, to politics and to the DUP. I express my sincere condolences to his wife, his family, his broader circle of friends and to the DUP as a party, on the untimely death of Christopher. I thank all those who have spoken this evening and contributed in a full way to this important discus…

I wish to open this debate with a clear and unambiguous statement, one that I know will resonate throughout the course of the debate: Ireland is unwavering in its support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In 2014 Russia invaded Ukraine and illegally annexed the Crimea peninsula. Since then, the conflict in Ukraine's eastern region of Donbas has endured, with dire humanitarian consequences. On Monday night the United Nations Secretary General stated that the decision of the Russian Federation to re…

On a point of information, there is a debate scheduled on that report in the Seanad next Tuesday, so it is being debated within the Houses of the Oireachtas-----

-----but we will bring the matter before this House too.

I welcome this opportunity to engage with Members of the Dáil on matters relating to the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, and I look forward to hearing the contributions of Deputies today. The establishment of a Commission on the Defence Forces was set out in the programme for Government and was a key priority for me as Minister for Defence. The publication of the commission's report represents the culmination of the work carried out over the past 13 months, and is testament to the considerable effor…

They moved their operations.

That was because of Ireland's interactions with them.

For the record, I have spoken to Tom Clonan at length about what we are doing and he is supportive.

Has the Deputy read the report?

It does not sound like it.

The report does not recommend that we do that.

This is a serious report that deserves a serious debate on the basis of its recommendations.

Deputy Barry is spinning it into something that it is not.

Deputy Barry is spinning it into something that it is not.

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this matter. I am mindful of the significant media attention this matter has attracted over the past week and the impact such coverage has had on the personnel and their families who serve in Cathal Brugha Barracks. In that context, I want to make it very clear that no decision has been taken by the Government on the relocation of Defence Forces operations at Cathal Brugha Barracks. Cathal Brugha Barracks is the only operational barracks in the capital. McKee Barracks is an ad…

Regarding comments about the Minister, Deputy Ryan, I do not believe this was disingenuous. I believe that when he made the statement on social media, it was on the basis of a case he has been making for many years, namely, that this is a very strategic site that could be used for housing. I do not believe anything was meant by that. He also recognised the Defence Forces need to be accommodated. What I would say as Minister for Defence is that no decision has been made to move out of Cathal Brugha Barracks or to re…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. As I said in the Seanad last night, the Irish Government's position on this is very clear. The British Government has signed an international agreement, which includes the protocol on Northern Ireland, as part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. That is now international law and the British Government has an obligation to act in a way that is consistent with international law. Last night, the Northern Ireland Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Mr. Edw…

I am very anxious to get this work out into the public so I hope we can have a very comprehensive debate on the back of more than 12 months of work from a commission on the future of the Defence Forces that has an extraordinary amount of experience and knowledge to contribute to the debate. I hope to be in a position to publish the report and recommendations on the Commission on the Defence Forces next week. That has not yet been finalised but it is certainly the hope.