13. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the role his Department will play in the preparation of a revised national security strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30994/25]

Sentiment score: 0.22

As the Tánaiste knows, the programme for Government committed to the development of a revised national security strategy, one that reflects the changing threats and geopolitical realities Ireland now faces. Progress has been made with the establishment of the national security council and secretariat, but five years on from the original commitment the full strategy remains outstanding. Can the Tánaiste outline the role his Department is playing in finalising this crucial work and when we can expect to see the draft strategy published?

Sentiment score: 0.44

As the Tánaiste is aware, the nature of national security has fundamentally changed. We are no longer talking solely about traditional military threats but, rather, hybrid threats, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, energy security, technological vulnerability and foreign interference. The world has moved at pace, from the war in Ukraine and the instability in the Middle East and particularly in Gaza, right through to malign actors targeting critical infrastructure across Europe. Ireland still remains exposed. Our neutrality must not be mistaken for complacency. A small, open economy such as ours is deeply vulnerable to economic, technological and political shocks. However, we have strong foundations and it is important to get that across. We are not lame ducks. We have An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces and an emerging intelligence capacity. These need to be fully integrated under the national security strategy, as the Tánaiste mentioned. We should not be simply reactive, but genuinely anticipatory and robust in our preparations.

Sentiment score: 0.10

The Tánaiste has outlined the issues quite succinctly and well. One thing to bear in mind as well is whether the strategy will incorporate external expertise to ensure that it reflects best international practice. That is not necessarily expertise from the private sector. We would be looking to our partners in Europe specifically, and then obviously to our Canadian and American partners, when it comes to the protection of deep-sea cables. Crucially, it will need to provide a clear national security doctrine that allows the State to protect itself across all domains, not just in traditional defence. The Tánaiste has outlined that it will do so. It will not be single-faceted; it will be a multifaceted approach and it will be quite detailed. The illusion of security is not enough. As the Tánaiste mentioned, quite rightly, just because we are a neutral country does not mean we should not be able to defend ourselves. Resilience must be real, structured and forward-looking.

Sentiment score: 0.23