I am aware that the Irish Army transport company, which it is intended to send to Somalia, is a logistic back-up unit. What type of protection will the UN commander on the ground afford to this Irish unit when it carries out the various logistical tasks assigned to it? It is important that we know exactly what role the transport unit will be expected to perform, the type of protection they will receive and if the Minister is satisfied that all reasonable precautions will be taken.
I would also like the Minister to indicate if any special allowance will be paid to Irish troops serving on peace enforcement missions which would reflect the additional risk involved and if he will consider introducing some sort of compensation scheme, perhaps by way of life assurance, for members of the Defence Forces who lose their lives while on active service. The Defence Forces are very far behind the Garda Síochána in terms of the type of compensation that is available to them. It is only reasonable that we as a country should respect the services given by members of the Defence Forces and be in a position to make some compensation available if they are unfortunate enough to lose their lives on active service. Members of the Garda Síochána deserve the same treatment. Most pension schemes in the private sector and in the public sector include a death-in-service benefit, and they do not have to face the risks that members of the Garda Síochána or of the Defence Forces face. For that reason it is reasonable that we examine the possibility of providing compensation, and it could be self-funded if we use the National Treasury Agency to manage the scheme. Will the Minister consider reviewing this matter and make some reference to it when replying to the debate?
On behalf of Fine Gael, I intend to try to amend the Bill to ensure that each request from the United Nations for a peace enforcement unit to serve on a particular mission will be examined in detail by the Dáil. It is important that all who serve on such missions do so on a voluntary basis. I appreciate that the 1960 Act does provide for a Dáil motion before persons may be dispatched on a peacekeeping mission. However, this is a new departure in so far as we are involved in peace enforcement. It would be well worth our while to review that section of the 1960 Act so that all persons serving in the Defence Forces, at present and in the future, would serve on peace enforcement missions on a voluntary basis.
I would like to refer the Minister to the document produced by Mr. Boutros Boutros Ghali, An Agenda for Peace, in which he referred to peace enforcement units and said:
I recommend that the Council consider the ultilisation of peace enforcement units in clearly defined circumstances and with the terms of reference specified in advance. Such units from member states would be available on call and would consist of troops that have volunteered for such service.
It is quite clear that the Secretry-General felt that anybody serving in such a unit should be doing so on a voluntary basis. I see no justification for differentiating between those who are presently serving and those who may join after this Bill is enacted. If we are asking people to serve on a peace enforcement mission it should be on a voluntary basis and I strongly recommend that the Minister consider the amendment I will be putting down on Committee Stage. It is particularly important that serving on peace enforcement missions should be on a voluntary basis in view of the fact that the average age of those serving in the Permanent Defence Forces at present is 35, which means that quite a considerable percentage would be married persons. It may be easy for us to agree to despatch a contingent of the Defence Forces to Somalia or anywhere else for peace enforcement purposes, but we must also consider the natural concern of the spouses of serving members. Making this voluntary service would enable people to discuss in the privacy of their own homes whether they should or should not take part in a peace enforcement mission.
It is vitally important that the Dáil be given the opportunity to review its position on each peace enforcement mission and on each and every occasion the UN mandate is up for renewal by the UN Security Council. I will be tabling an amendment on Committee Stage to provide that after 12 months, and annually thereafter, the Dáil would review the involvement of an Irish contingent on a peace enforcement mission. That would enable the Dáil to express any concerns it may have, in the case of a long running mission, about the length of time our troops will be in service on that mission. I see no reason that the Dail should not be given the opportunity to review the position every 12 months. It is a reasonable request. I will table an amendment on Committee Stage and I hope the Minister and the Government will accept that amendment. Fine Gael approves in principle providing Irish troops to assist UN action abroad in the preservation of peace. It approves the principle of this Bill, subject to the reservations which I have outlined and which Fine Gael will seek to incorporate into the Bill on Committee Stage.
It would be easy for my party in Opposition to play politics on this issue, but it is too important an issue to engage in such activity. All Members have the highest regard for members of the Defence Forces. I am careful not to instil any unnecessary fear in the wives of those who may be going to serve abroad. We should be conscious of that. We reserve the right to express our views in regard to each individual request made by the UN. I hope Governments in the future will be forthcoming in providing information on peacekeeping missions in Somalia and other areas. I am sure the Minister will do that. He has shown his concern by visiting Somalia. We should not put unnecessary pressure on the Government in relation to this mission. Every attempt has been made to ensure that our troops will be properly protected. However, it is important that we ask questions and if the answers to those questions are not satisfactory we should continue to ask more questions.
My party have too much respect for the Defence Forces to play politics in regard to such a serious issue. If it is decided that our troops should go to Somalia I hope that they will all return safely and that they will continue to play the important role they have exercised in the past and continue to bring pride to the country. I wish them every success and a safe return.