asked the Minister for Defence if he will expand on his recent statement regarding duties that he would require the Army to perform; and if he will make a full statement on the present and future role of the Army in the whole area of security.
8.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Army Duties.
7.
asked the Minister for Defence if he will expand on his statement in Mullingar to the effect that in the months ahead he would have to ask the Army to perform things which they would not like.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 8 together.
I was referring to the heavy duties being performed for some considerable time past by the Defence Forces in aid of the civil power and I projected further such duties in the months ahead.
The frequency of these duties and the demands they make on the personnel vary from time to time and the necessity to be prepared for them, no matter how unpleasant they may be, will continue as long as the difficult security situation lasts.
The Minister said in Mullingar that he would in future have to ask the Army to do things they would not like. Can the Minister now enlarge on that statement?
I shall be very glad to do so. I spoke at the opening of the men's club in Mullingar and I realised that not only were the men present but their wives and families were also there. I knew these men had been on long tours of duty on the Border. I quite clearly specified the duties they had been asked to do, duties they had not anticipated, perhaps, they would have to perform when they joined the Army. I specified the duties as including the provision of Border patrols, including assistance in dealing with Border incidents, assisting the gardaí at road checkpoints, the protection of explosive materials used for industrial purposes, the guarding of installations of vital national importance, the provision of bomb disposal teams, the assisting of the gardaí in carrying out searches at various times for arms and explosives and the custody and escorting of prisoners as well as the provision of military guards in civil prisons. I quite clearly mentioned—I have a clear recollection of doing so— Border patrols and checkpoints and the protection of explosive materials. I indicated to these Army families that I was sorry to have to say the men would have to continue to do these things, and I would have to continue to ask them to do them, things I know they regard as non-soldiering duties. I am sure the Opposition will agree with me that we all have a very serious responsibility from the point of view of backing these men of the Army and the Garda Síochána who are doing these duties. I believe I would not be doing my duty and would have been remiss had I not included in my script a word of thanks, the more so as I saw the Army standing all around me and I expressed that word of thanks. How it was interpreted by the Press is not for me to say. That is what I did and I stand over it.
Is the Minister aware that his statement was dismissed by his own colleagues, or by someone speaking on behalf of the Government, as not being Government policy?
I am not so aware.
May I say that immeasurable damage may be caused to the recruiting campaign by that irresponsible statement?
I do not accept that the statement was irresponsible. My position was that I realised it was essential that I should say a word of thanks to these people. The soldiers who go on Border duty cannot like it very much. Saying a word of thanks to the Army and the wives and children of these men could scarcely be held to damage morale or interfere with the recruiting drive and neither could any other statement made on this side of the House.
The Minister stresses the need for appreciation of the Army. We all agree that the Army should be appreciated, but does the Minister agree that the recent leakage——
This would appear to be a separate matter.
Sin ceist eile.
Would the Minister like to confirm or deny a report circulating in County Leitrim that the Irish Army were used for the protection of the British when going up Border roads?
I categorically deny that.
Would the Minister like to tell the House what the future role of the Army will be from the point of view of the custody and transporting of political prisoners?
This is an on-going situation and I am not prepared to say anything about it.
With great respect, is the Minister aware that both the Army and the Garda Síochána would like to know the answer?
All I can say is that the Opposition are doing damage to the morale of the security forces and to the recruitment drive by these statements.
(Interruptions.)
Order. I am calling the next question, Question No. 9.