Mary Lou McDonald
Question:19. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach the membership and terms of reference of the National Security Committee chaired by the Secretary General of his Department. [29521/21]
View answerWednesday, 16 June 2021
Questions (19, 20)
Alan Kelly
Question:20. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Taoiseach if he will provide a list of the membership of the National Security Committee; and when it last met. [29776/21]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 20 together.
The National Security Committee is chaired by the Secretary General to the Government and comprises representatives at the highest level of the Departments of Justice, Defence, Foreign Affairs, Environment, Communications and Climate and of the Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces.
The secretariat to the Committee is provided by the National Security Analysis Centre in my Department.
The Committee is concerned with ensuring that the Government and I are advised of high-level security issues and the responses to them, but not with operational security matters.
Having regard to the confidential nature of the work of the Committee, it is the long-standing practice not to disclose information about individual meetings or their proceedings. I can tell Deputies, however, that the Committee has met in respect of aspects of the State’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Committee meets as required and it will continue to do so.
In addition to the meetings, the members of the Committee liaise on an ongoing basis to monitor developments that might have national security implications, in particular in the international arena.
Questions Nos. 21 to 31, inclusive, resubmitted.