Vol. 404 No. 6
17 Mr. Bell asked the Taoiseach if his attention has been drawn to the fact that as a result of the stopping of recruitment in June 1990, there is a shortage of men in the Border units, his views on the seriousness of this matter having regard to the interests of security in the most sensitive area of the State; if he will outline the steps he is taking to rectify the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
There is no foundation whatsoever for the Deputy's suggestion that there is a shortage of personnel in the units of the Permanent Defence Force located in Border areas. In fact, the number of personnel in these units increased in 1990 as a result of the recruiting which took place in that year. I am fully satisfied that the military Authorities have the necessary resources to meet whatever security demands are made upon them in the Border area and elsewhere.
I am sorry, a Cheann Comhairle, that I have to disagree substantially with the Taoiseach in his capacity as Minister for Defence. That is certainly not the information I have on the ground and I reckon I am a little closer to it than the Taoiseach. I suggest to the Taoiseach that even in the Tánaiste's own area there is a shortage of 70 men in the Cavan barracks. I ask the Taoiseach to reconsider his reply to this question and get the comparative figures in the Border areas? I further ask that he examine the matter carefully because I do not think that his facts are correct.
I must reiterate the facts as they are and of course, this is not on the basis of my personal observations or assessment but these are the facts supplied to me by the military Authorities. The truth of the matter is there is a slight increase in the number and there are more persons in the Permanent Defence Force serving in the Border areas at the end of 1990 than there were at the beginning of the year. As the Deputy knows I cannot go into numbers or locations for security reasons but the confirmed military opinion is that the forces at their disposal are adequate.
Is the Taoiseach aware that the IRA are freely able to carry out army-style manoeuvres in parts of County Monaghan and I wish to draw his attention to the fact that a large number of personnel belonging to that organisation did in fact carry out a manoeuvre in the country recently and placed a huge bomb outside Smithborough.
The Deputy should raise that matter in another way at another time——
That was one of the manoeuvres and there was another as well.
The Deputy may not proceed along those lines now.
Could the Taoiseach comment on that as it relates to Question No. 17?
