Gerard P. Craughwell: Ireland Lacks National Security Strategy
Gerard P. Craughwell addressed the house, urging the Minister for Defence to explain the absence of a national security strategy and highlighting acute risks from low defence spending and ongoing cyber attacks. He called for an open parliamentary conversation and for a clear blueprint to protect essential services.
Main demand: Gerard P. Craughwell pressed for the Minister for Defence to appear in the house to set out a national security strategy. He warned that without a written plan, crisis response teams have no guiding blueprint for prioritising essential services in an emergency.
Cyber vulnerabilities: Craughwell pointed to recent cyber attacks and the constant stream of digital threats, noting that attacks occur every day and can target health and critical infrastructure. He argued that a national security strategy must cover water, electricity, gas, transport and other systems that keep the state functioning.
Defence spending and consequences: He highlighted reporting by Dan O'Brien and asserted that Ireland is the lowest spending country in Europe on national defence. Craughwell said national security is not only about uniformed forces but about the people who operate vital infrastructure, and that current neglect leaves citizens exposed.
Next steps urged: Craughwell asked colleagues to bring the Minister for Defence into the house for an open conversation about a national security strategy so Ireland can prioritise what must be protected in a crisis and what can be set aside.
Main demand: Gerard P. Craughwell pressed for the Minister for Defence to appear in the house to set out a national security strategy. He warned that without a written plan, crisis response teams have no guiding blueprint for prioritising essential services in an emergency.
Cyber vulnerabilities: Craughwell pointed to recent cyber attacks and the constant stream of digital threats, noting that attacks occur every day and can target health and critical infrastructure. He argued that a national security strategy must cover water, electricity, gas, transport and other systems that keep the state functioning.
Defence spending and consequences: He highlighted reporting by Dan O'Brien and asserted that Ireland is the lowest spending country in Europe on national defence. Craughwell said national security is not only about uniformed forces but about the people who operate vital infrastructure, and that current neglect leaves citizens exposed.
Next steps urged: Craughwell asked colleagues to bring the Minister for Defence into the house for an open conversation about a national security strategy so Ireland can prioritise what must be protected in a crisis and what can be set aside.
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Transcript
Tánaiste, Cathaoirleach, Acting Leader, the primary function of any state is to provide for the security of its citizens and in this state we are woefully, woefully neglecting our citizens. I see Dan O'Brien has a piece out concerning the spend on defence in this country. We are the lowest spending country in Europe on national defence. There is no national security strategy promised in 2019. It's now becoming a bit like the Trump-Obamacare where every week it's the last paragraph is currently being drafted and it'll be out any day soon. We were already hit with the Health Service executive cyber attack. Cyber attacks are happening in their thousands every single day, every minute, every nanosecond there is an attack on somebody in this country. There is no national security strategy. The national security strategy would lay out how we would deal with such issues as water, the transmission of electricity, gas, transport etc. It would prioritise what things have to be saved in the event of a crisis and what things can be left to set aside or dealt with at a later period. Nothing has ever been said. Nothing. We have a national crisis team that meet every now and then when there is a national crisis but they have no blueprint to work on. There is no strategy. I would ask a deputy leader that we bring the minister into this house and that we have an open conversation about a national security strategy. It's not always about people in uniform. It's not always about people that are in Defence Forces or Gardaí. It's about people working in electricity, people working in the gas transmission systems. It's about anything that makes this country work. So can we have the Minister for Defence in on the national strategy. Thank you.