The Taoiseach: The Department of the Taoiseach's statement of strategy 2025-28 was approved by the Government on 7 October 2025 and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 10 December 2025. The statement of strategy outlines the Department’s vision, mission, values, core responsibilities, key activities and policy priorities over the period from 2025 to 2028. The Department's mission is to support the Taoiseach and the Government, including in the implementation of the programme for Government, through principled leadership and joined-up governance; by co-ordinating Government activity to ensure effective, inclusive and timely decision-making; by providing impartial, high-quality policy advice in the national interest; by upholding democratic integrity, Civil Service values and public trust at the centre of government; and by promoting a strategic, sustainable and long-term perspective that safeguards Ireland’s future prosperity, cohesion and resilience. The core responsibilities and key activities of the Department encompass executive leadership and Government co-ordination; legislative, parliamentary and constitutional duties; policy coherence and whole-of-government perspective; State protocol and commemorations; public communications and information, emergency management and civic engagement; and Civil Service and public service leadership and renewal.....

Deputy Cathal Crowe: Last November, I brought the Taoiseach to the University of Limerick, where he visited the centre for robotic and intelligence systems, better known as CRIS. The CRIS laboratory is led by Professor Dan Toal. When we were there, he saw the huge array of cutting-edge and cost-effective technology, including submersibles, drones and all sorts of equipment. On the day we were there, from that laboratory in the University of Limerick, they were monitoring with an robotically powered undersea vehicle a wind turbine off the Portuguese coast. There is huge potential here. This potential transcends many Departments. There is the potential to monitor shadow fleets, subsea cables, gas lines and offshore wind energy; to survey ecological and habitat areas; and to tackle the trade of illicit drugs. That is only the start of it. This is a very cost-effective way to operate. I think it is strategically important for Ireland. I hope the Taoiseach might be able to accede to the request for him to convene the various Departments to lead out a group that could look at this. Unfortunately, we are currently the outliers in Europe as the only EU country without a national laboratory for robotics. This is strategically important to Ireland Inc., to the Department of the Taoiseach and to many other Departments. I ask the Taoiseach to work with Professor Toal's group and co-ordinate a cross-party interdepartmental group to lead this forward.