Great to see the new Cadet School HQ in the Curragh nearly completed. A €4.3m refurbishment. Much more desperately needed. Hopefully, the instructor staff can soon move out of the shipping containers on the parade square & into this new facility. Well done to all involved.
I was delighted to welcome Defence Forces veterans groups today. It was particularly satisfying to host former soldiers who once guarded the Leinster House campus in years gone by.
Glad to contribute to the Dáil debate on the findings of the Independent Review Group’s report about conduct and misconduct in the Irish Defence Forces. It was also good to welcome the Women of Honour group and veterans from Kildare to hear the debate. I welcome the publication of this report and its ...
Radio interview on RTÉ’s Late Debate this week. I spoke about the factors forcing people to leave the Defence Forces and the urgent need for a full-time, stand-alone Minister for Defence. Listen to the full interview here https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22204122/
Huge thanks to the Irish Air Corps for facilitating the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs & Defence Committee’s visit to Baldonnel. Superb, but sobering briefings. Candour very much appreciated. Ireland’s lack of air capability is a major national strategic risk. We need to fix this.
Good to speak to Bryan Dobson on RTÉ Radio One recently about the lack of independent airlift capability in Ireland. This time last year, Irish troops had to hitchhike with other European armies to evacuate Irish citizens from Kabul. Also, during the pandemic, Ireland had no means to transport its own citizens or ...
Not a single soldier, sailor or flight crew in the Defence Forces has received the €1,000 pandemic bonus yet. I highlighted this with Minister McGrath in the Dáil this week so that it can be paid to members of the Defence Forces as soon as possible. Click here to watch Cathal Berry TD's parliamentary contribution.
Fascinating panel discussions at the Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann ONE Veterans Charity veterans evening in Cathal Brugha Bks. Over 140,000 Defence Force veterans are currently out there. Ireland’s ultimate network…
The Irish Defence Forces have a serious lack of defence capability. We cannot protect our borders, patrol our own waters or police our skies. Not only can we not deter people from incurring, we can't even detect them from incurring. The Commission on Defence must address these serious capability shortages. ...
Secret defence pact allowing RAF jets in Irish airspace ‘undermines our neutrality’, says TD Berry - Article Taken From Independent.ie A secret defence pact with the UK that has allowed RAF fighter jets to operate in Irish sovereign airspace for almost two decades has been kept under wraps because it is a source ...
