Cormac O'Keeffe: Ireland is 13 years without a dedicated minister for defence

Leo Varadkar's parting shot as Taoiseach highlights the international and domestic argument for a full-time defence minister

On top of the international and national security pressures for a minister of defence, the Defence Forces is going through a massive reform and investment overall, with plans for a major expansion in numbers and assets as well as structural and command reforms. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

In his farewell speech, outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar raised issues he thought were worth highlighting to the nation.

There were no surprises in most of them — relating to the economy, housing and health — but one did stand out: national security.