I move:
That a sum not exceeding £116,005,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December 1979 for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Defence, including certain services administered by that Office, for the pay and expenses of the Defence Forces; and for payment of certain grants-in-aid.
The Estimate for Defence for the financial year 1979 is a nett sum of £116,005,000. It contains provision for an average strength of 1,520 officers, 118 cadets and 13,000 men, that is, a total of 14,638 in the Permanent Defence Force. At the end of December last the strength figure was 1,455 officers, 87 cadets and 12,210 men, that is, a total of 13,752. The 1978 Estimate amounted to £105,536,000, including a sum of £5,335,000 which was transferred from the Vote for Remuneration to meet the cost of pay increases during 1978. This Estimate, therefore, shows a net increase of £10,469,000 on the provision for last year. However, the gross provision of £128,031,000 is an increase of £19,608,000 compared with the gross provision of £108,423,000 for 1978. Receipts under subhead Z, Appropriations in Aid, are expected to show an increase of £9,139,000 compared with 1978. Of the increased provision of £19,608,000, increased pay and allowances account for £2,082,000 and the balance of £17,526,000 is attributable to increased provisions for stores and equipment and increased prices.
The pay provisions in the Estimate amount to £79,572,000. The pay of all ranks has been revised in accordance with the terms of the 1978 National Agreement. In addition, all ranks up to and including commandant have received further increases in line with the recent award to executive grades in the civil service, which, coupled with the second phase of the national agreement, gives an overall increase of some 10 per cent. Officers in the ranks of lieutenant-colonel and upwards will benefit in due course from any increases that may be granted to higher civil service grades arising from the review of their pay by the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector. It is my constant concern to ensure that personnel engaged on security type duties, which frequently entail long and arduous periods of service, are adequately compensated for their efforts. To this end, as Deputies will be aware, the allowances for Border and other security duties have been substantially increased recently. Furthermore, I have introduced a new military service allowance for noncommissioned personnel and for junior officers up to the rank of captain to compensate them for the disabilities of military life. Deputies will also know of my efforts over the past year to attract suitable personnel to the Naval Service. In this regard, Naval Service personnel, as well as benefiting from the increases which I have already mentioned, can also benefit from the payment of patrol duty allowance, the rates of which have also been increased. There is a shortage of marine engineers in the Naval Service. I have recently made significant improvements in their conditions of service which, I hope, will be sufficient to attract qualified personnel to the service. I am glad to say that the gratuities payable to members of the First Line Reserve and members of the FCA and Slua Muiri in respect of attendance at full time training were increased by 145 per cent in 1978. Also the grants payable to FCA and Slua Muiri Unit funds were increased by well over 100 per cent.
As I have recently announced, the Government have approved in principle my proposals for the reorganisation of the Defence Forces. I regard this as an important milestone in the history of the Defence Forces and I am confident that the proposals which have already been explained in some detail in the media will contribute most effectively to the development of both the permanent and reserve forces. It is my intention to proceed with the reorganisation as a matter of priority and in fact the first phase, which involves the creation of a new structure to cater for the separate development of the permanent and reserve elements will be implemented in the very near future. The ground force elements of the Permanent Defence Force will consist essentially of an infantry brigade in each of the four Commands and an Eastern Command Infantry Force. The peace establishments of the ground force elements will be increased eventually by about 1,100 all ranks, whilst the establishment of the Naval Service and the Air Corps will also be substantially increased. The FCA, which will retain its existing corps structure with no reduction in its establishment, will be organised on a command basis, each command having a special staff with responsibility for training and administration under a Director of Reserve Forces. An indication of the importance which I attach to the reserve forces, which include the first line, the FCA and the Slua Muiri, is the establishment for the first time of a Directorate of Reserve Forces whose primary responsibility will be the development, training and equipping of these elements.
I am pleased to announce also that the Government have approved my proposals for the establishment of a Women's Service Corps. The necessary amending Bill to permit the enlistment of women in the Defence Forces is being prepared and I intend to introduce it at the first opportunity.
The increased level of expenditure on stores and equipment in the past few years is indicative of my determination to strengthen the capability of the Defence Forces which will benefit this year by provisions for increases amounting to £17,526,000 arising mainly under the following subheads:
Subhead H—Defensive Equipment (£4,500,000)
Subhead J—Mechanical Transport (£962,000)
Subhead L—Petrol, Fuel, Oils etc. (£483,000)
Subhead O1—General Stores (£2,216,000)
Subhead O2—Helicopters (£500,000)
Subhead P—Naval Stores (£6,363,000)
Subhead S—Buildings (£1,390,000).
I am determined that modern weaponry and equipment will be provided for the Defence Forces. As an indication of what is intended, I would point out that the defensive equipment provided for this year includes additional tanks and armoured personnel carriers, artillery guns and mortars, artillery computer equipment, anti-tank missiles, laser rangefinders, and so on. Provision is also included for substantial quantities of various types of ammunition. It will be noted also that there is a considerable increase in the provision for mechanical transport. This is intended to meet operational requirements and to continue the programme of renewal of the transport fleet. As regards helicopters, provision is included for the acquisition of a training helicopter and for a down-payment on the purchase of a twin-engined helicopter with a capability of flying at night or in reduced visibility.
Deputies will recall that in May of last year the Dáil approved of the despatch of an Irish contingent for service as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL. This force was established in March 1978 with the mandate of enabling the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, restoring international peace and security and assisting the Government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of their effective authority in the area. An Irish contingent of 665 all ranks was despatched to the mission area in May and June 1978. The contingent comprised the 43rd Infantry Battalion and eight officers who filled certain staff appointments at the Force Headquarters. Subsequently, in October, a Headquarters Company comprising 104 Irish personnel joined the force. The Irish contingent is rotated about every six months and already over 2,100 Irish troops have had service in Lebanon. This figure includes about 750 personnel who are now serving there with the 2nd Headquarters Company and the 45th Infantry Battalion.
I am very proud of the contribution that the Irish contingent is making in difficult circumstances to the United Nations peace-keeping operation in Lebanon. I was glad to be able to visit our troops there in October last and to see at first hand the conditions under which they are working. I can assure Deputies that our officers and men are acquitting themselves well in a very noble cause—that of peace in the Middle East. They have had significant success in their role as peace-keepers although not, unfortunately, without loss, as two Irish soldiers were killed in traffic accidents in Lebanon last year.
Irish personnel have been subjected on a number of occasions to severe harassment by the so-called `de facto' forces in Lebanon. This has taken the form of shelling of the Irish area of operations and the blockading of a number of observations posts in the enclave under the control of the `de facto' forces which are manned by Irish personnel. The most serious incident occurred on 18 April 1979 when UNIFIL Headquarters at Naqoura came under artillery and machine gun fire from `de facto' forces resulting in injury to six Irish soldiers. A further very serious incident occured on 9 May 1979 when Israeli troops entered the Irish area of operations in the vicinity of Shaqra. Following diplomatic approaches, the situation was defused and the Israeli troops withdrew. There have been further incidents of shelling in the Irish area of operations this month but the situation is now reported to be quiet.
I was pleased that, following my visit, I was able to increase substantially the rates of overseas allowances payable to our troops in Lebanon.
In addition to providing a contingent for service in Lebanon, this country has continued to contribute personnel to other United Nations missions in the Middle East and Cyprus. Twenty-two Irish officers are serving with the United Nations Truce Supervisory Organisation, while one officer and four noncommissioned officers are serving in staff appointments with the United Nations Force in Cyprus. In addition, Major-General Quinn of the Permanent Defence Force continues to fill the appointment of Commander of the United Nations Force in Cyprus.
With regard to the recoupment of costs incurred in respect of the UN operation in Lebanon, payments amounting to almost £900,000 have so far been received. A further £2 million approximately is due in respect of troop costs for the period up to the 31st March 1979. Claims totalling £1.8 million approximately in respect of equipment and services supplied are being prepared and will be presented as quickly as possible.
A major activity of the Defence Forces during 1978 was assisting the Garda Síochána in internal security matters. The gardaí have primary responsibility for such matters and the activity of the Defence Forces in this field derives from their role of rendering aid to the civil power.
As an indication of the Army's involvement in security duties, I would like to give a few statistics for 1978:
(a) Over 4,800 military parties were supplied for checkpoint duties and helped to set up over 11,500 joint Garda-Army checkpoints.
(b) More than 11,000 patrols were sent out into the road network along the Border. These patrols are equipped with radio and can be directed by radio to the scene of a Border incident.
(c) Escorts for explosives and blasting operations were provided on over 1,200 occasions.
(d) About 180 requests for bomb disposal teams were handled.
In addition, certain vital non-military installations are protected either by permanent military guards or by military patrols. The Army also provides guards and escorts for civilian prisoners and movements of cash and helps in searches for arms, ammunition and explosives.
These duties tax very considerably the manpower of the Permanent Defence Force. Members of the First Line Reserve, An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil and An Slua Muirí provide invaluable assistance to the Permanent Defence Force in discharging these duties and I should like to pay tribute to them and to all members of the Permanent Defence Force for the excellent manner in which they carry out their allotted tasks.
As well as normal security duties, the Defence Forces have assisted the community in a variety of ways which should be specially mentioned. Over 60 search and rescue missions were made by Air Corps aircraft during 1978 resulting in the saving of 12 lives. A number of calls were answered to bring relief to offshore islands and a total of 98 air ambulance missions were flown conveying seriously injured patients to specialist hospitals. The Defence Forces also provided assistance in maintaining essential services during a number of industrial disputes and, of course, provided considerable assistance following the Whiddy Island disaster.
I have constantly in mind the needs of both the Naval Service and the Air Corps in the context of their increased duties as a result of the introduction of the 200-mile fishery limit on 1 January 1977. Both services have responded magnificently to the challenges posed by the greatly expanded area to be patrolled.
A stern trawler was leased for a period of one year in 1977 to give the Naval Service immediate additional capability and an aircraft was chartered for a period of two-three years for the Air Corps to enable them to provide back-up surveillance. It did not prove possible to lease an alternative vessel in 1978, but a second aircraft was leased for a period of three years to augment aerial surveillance. However these measures were holding operations only. In the longer term a second all-weather fishery protection vessel was commissioned in January 1978. Two further vessels are at present being constructed in Verolme Dockyard and it is hoped to have the first of these delivered in September 1979 and the second in early 1980. It is also intended to order two further vessels of a new design which would be built and operational by 1982. It is the intention that these new vessels will have helicopter carrying facilities and thus provide the Naval Service with an enhanced capability for the patrol of the large area involved.
Owing to the volume of tanker traffic around our coasts, the possibility always exists of oil pollution from an accident to one of these vessels. Up to last year such accidents had occured in the main far from our shores. However in October 1978 and in January 1979 two such accidents occurred close to our coast.