I am disappointed in how the heads of the Bill have been presented. I think there is support for 80% or 90% of what needs to be achieved in terms of our national security, or we could at least reach accommodations, such as on the extraction of our citizens from war zones. The Tánaiste will launch the national maritime strategy today, which I welcome and is much needed. There is an emotive element to the triple lock, which will envelop all of these issues politically. Issues will be conflated. The Tánaiste said in his first contribution that they are separate, which is the case, but he knows the reality of political discourse in this country. We need to have a sophisticated discussion on all elements of national security and the triple lock, but they should be done separately. We do not need to rush into removing the triple lock as part of the legislation. A process of reform is ongoing in the United Nations and we should lead on that. We should try to improve the United Nations. We fundamentally believe in it, and any future of peacekeeping outside the United Nations is not something we can take a punt on at this point.

Sentiment score: 0.21

10. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to provide an update on the incident in southern Lebanon where Irish peacekeepers came under fire from the Israel Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29866/25]

Sentiment score: 0.09

This question is on the shots fired at our peacekeeping soldiers in Lebanon. Will the Tánaiste provide a comment on this?

Sentiment score: -0.08

I thank the Tánaiste and I welcome the swift and stern diplomatic response we had to this incident through the United Nations. As the Tánaiste has said, this is a pattern of behaviour. There is no sense this pattern will stop. We are lucky there were no injuries or loss of life but if, God forbid, we see further instances such as this or an escalation, what is open to us as a State in terms of escalating actions against Israel? Will we continue to démarche through the United Nations? We know that legislatively we have the occupied Palestinian territories Bill coming through the foreign affairs committee and we will debate it there but what else can be done? We had a delegation from the Palestinian Authority meet the foreign affairs committee to discuss issues such as planning and water services. Senior operations people gave an absolutely stark vista of Gaza, the West Bank and everywhere in terms of Palestine and Israel's actions. This pattern we are witnessing in terms of peacekeepers is just one of a host of aggressive actions by Israel against Palestinians and peacekeeping.

Sentiment score: 0.14

That is interesting. Is it the Tánaiste's hope or expectation that the Commission will bring some options to the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday week? The occupied territories Bill will be coming forward. I am sure the Tánaiste's attention has been drawn to the legal action that has been taken by a transnational group of lawyers against Airbnb due to its operation of services in the occupied territories. Senator Frances Black hosted a briefing in the audiovisual room on Tuesday morning. There was a very strong legal opinion that under the definition of trade we cannot separate goods and services. I am sure the Tánaiste's attention will have been drawn to that in the spirit of wanting to get this Bill right, and he knows our position in terms of including services in it. Again, this is all about bringing tangible sanctions against Israel for its actions. It was not lost on me, the Tánaiste or anyone else who heard it that the Palestinian people see allies all over the world. They mention Ireland and Algeria, and it should not be lost on anyone on either side of the House that our actions here make a difference to the Palestinian people.

Sentiment score: 0.29

11. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the urgent actions he and his Department will take to ensure that the 505 squadron at Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel is fully staffed and will not be forced to continue to operate at 50% capacity and a reduced flying schedule; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29865/25]

Sentiment score: 0.25

What urgent actions will the Tánaiste and his Department take to ensure that the 505 squadron at Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel is fully staffed and will not be forced to continue to operate at 50% capacity and at a reduced flying schedule?

Sentiment score: 0.71

Indeed. The fact that this had to take place outside of collective agreements highlights how unusual it is, and I acknowledge the Tánaiste's action on this. However, the reason this has happened is underpinned by a structural issue in terms of our airfields in the Dublin region, specifically Weston aerodrome. The Irish Times has reported that we have been losing technicians to the privately owned Weston aerodrome, which operates the privately run Coast Guard service. A ten-year, €670 million public contract underpins Weston aerodrome. We now know that some Garda operations are taking place out of Weston and we are having a brain drain from our public service from Baldonnel into Weston. We are fighting an uphill battle because of that. We talked about manifestos earlier. As per our manifesto, we do not understand why a publicly run Coast Guard service cannot operate out of Baldonnel or Dublin Airport, as previously spoken about. That is the structural issue at play here.

Sentiment score: -0.04

That is encouraging but, again, when commercial interests impact critical public services such as what should be operating out of Baldonnel, the State needs to act and look at those structural problems. One of them is the Coast Guard contract. It has been well debated here and in committee in the last Dáil and will be again. We have nearly €750 million of public funds helping to underpin a commercial enterprise at the expense of Baldonnel. That will need to be looked at. I accept, and I think the Tánaiste accepts, that this cannot be done in, as he put it, a whack-a-mole scenario; it has to be done strategically. This has highlighted a structural problem which needs to be resolved in the coming months and years.

Sentiment score: 0.07