Fine Gael Defence Spokesperson David Stanton TD has welcomed the Government’s decision to committ 440 troops to UNIFIL. It is expected that these members of the Defence Forces will be deployed to Lebanon in the first half of next year.

The Minister for Defence has failedto act on detailed proposals for reform of the Governance structure of the Irish Red Cross despite receiving the proposals in January 2010.

Fine Gael Defence Spokesperson, David Stanton TD has called for the army to be used earlier in severe weather situations. Deputy Stanton also raised the need for the Government, local authorities and national emergency bodies to ensure flood and other weather risks are minimised this winter.

The Fianna Fáil/Green Government and the Minister of Defence are squandering money we don’t have on a move we don’t need says Fine Gael Defence Spokesperson, David Stanton TD. The Government are planning to spend over €1 million to move the high-tech communications and operations sections of the of the Department of Defence and Defence Forces as part of their decentralisation plans when there is no need for it to be moved.