Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 5 Dec 1996

Vol. 472 No. 5

Defence (Amendment) Act, 1993: Motion.

Minister for Defence (Mr. Barrett)

I move:

That Dáil Éireann approves the Report of the Minister for Defence pursuant to Section 4 of the Defence (Amendment) Act, 1993.

In accordance with section 4 of the Defence (Amendment) Act, 1993, I wish to report to the House on Irish military participation in United Nations missions in 1995. The compilation of this report has afforded me a very welcome opportunity to outline to the House the contribution made by our troops in the various UN missions around the world, a contribution of which we are all immensely proud.

I wish to refer first to the United Nations interim force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, which is our largest single overseas commitment and which has been much to the fore following events earlier this year in South Lebanon. Thankfully, none of the Irish troops sustained injury during what must have been one of the most perilous times in South Lebanon since they took up duty there. In 1995 the strength of the contingent was 631, consisting of a battalion of 542 and 89 personnel at UNIFIL headquarters. As part of an overall reduction in the strength of UNIFIL, in which eight other countries participate, the strength of the Irish contingent was reduced by 33 in October 1995. The position of Deputy Force Commander was held by Brigadier-General Pierce Redmond, who returned home in April 1996.

The Irish battalion is deployed in South Lebanon in its new headquarters located near Tibnin. The new battalion headquarters was occupied by the 77th Battalion in April 1995. The concept of the new camp is very good with fixed brick buildings as opposed to the prefabs used at old headquarters. In 1995 the battalion continued to carry out its mission by operating observation posts and checkpoints, conducting extensive patrolling and maintaining a village presence and providing humanitarian assistance to a variety of worthy causes such as the orphanage in Tibnin and some village medical clinics. It also carried out a number of controlled demolition explosions.

Nineteen ninety-five was generally quieter than 1994 in UNIFIL although from October onwards there was an upsurge in activity by armed elements and a resultant increase in retaliatory fire by the Israelis and the Israeli backed de facto forces. A very serious incident took place on 10 June 1995 when de facto forces retaliatory fire for armed elements attacks on their compounds included a mortar round which impacted within an IRISHBATT post at Haddathah. The personnel manning the checkpoint were under cover at the time of the impact and there were no casualties. However, windows in the post were blown out and shrapnel caused damage to sentry posts and buildings. Again in November 1995 there were 50 firings close to IRISHBATT posts by the Israelis and their militia. This included two rounds of 155mm artillery smoke which impacted within the new headquarters position near Tibnin. There were no casualties in this incident, which was the subject of a strong diplomatic protest to the Israeli authorities.

Ireland provides 30 military personnel to the United Nations Peace Keeping Force in Cyprus, UNFICYP. Three officers and five NCOs fill staff appointments at force headquarters and a camp command component, consisting of three officers and 19 NCOs, has been serving with the mission since 16 February 1994. UNFICYP's mandate is "to use its best efforts to prevent a recurrence of fighting and, as necessary, to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order and a return to normal conditions". The principal task of UNFICYP is the maintenance of a buffer zone between the lines of the Cypriot National Guard and the Turkish-Cypriot forces. The force is also involved in humanitarian activities. There are 15 members of the Garda Síochána attached to that mission.

Two lieutenant colonels fill the appointments of personnel officer and supply officer in the field operations division of UNHQ, New York. Our commitment of 19 officers to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation in the Middle East — UNTSO — was reduced to 14 in October 1995, in line with a strength reduction programme being implemented by the UN. We have participated in this mission since 1958 and our commitment to it is set to reduce further, to a strength of 12 this year. Our UNTSO observers are currently based in Israel, Syria and Lebanon. UNTSO's main tasks today are concerned with the conflict between Israel and Lebanon and Israel and Syria, working closely with UNIFIL and UNDOF — the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force. It also maintains a presence in Egypt and Jordan, although those fronts are now quiet.

Since February 1992 an Irish colonel has been serving with OSGAP — the Office of the Secretary General in Afghanistan and Pakistan as senior military adviser to the secretary general's special representative. This mission is concerned with confirming violations of the Geneva accords on the settlement of the situation relating to Afghanistan and facilitating a comprehensive political settlement.

Irish participation in UNIKOM, the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observer Mission, continued in 1995 by providing six officers, all of whom are based in Kuwait and hold both staff and observer appointments. The mandate of UNIKOM involves monitoring the demilitarised zone established on the Iraq-Kuwait border following the Gulf War. Irish involvement with the United Nations mission in Haiti continued throughout 1995 by providing two officers who served as staff officers at the headquarters. Our involvement with this mission terminated in March of this year.

We also continued to provide nine officers to MINURSO — the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara. In 1995, the officers continued their tasks at the force headquarters in Laayoune and at sector and team sites throughout the mission area. Progress towards holding the referendum for which this mission was established has been very slow due to disagreement between the interested parties on the composition of the electoral register. The date for the referendum, originally planned for January 1992, is not yet known.

In 1995 nine Irish military personnel served with UNPROFOR — the United Nations protection force in the former Yugoslavia performing staff officer and observer duties. The force was retitled the United Nations Peace Forces — UNPF — and was closed down in January of this year.

A number of missions were created in UNPROFOR's stead — UNPREDEP, UN Preventative Deployment to prevent the Balkan conflict from spreading and possibly involving Greece and Turkey; Ireland supplies one officer to this mission. Ireland supplies three officers to UNTAES, the UN Transition Administration Eastern Slavonia. This force will oversee the return to Croatia of the last part of its territory held by rebel Serbs. Ireland supplies one officer to UNMOP, UN Military Observers Prevlaka. Under the terms of the Dayton Agreement this mission monitors the demilitarisation of the Prevlaka Peninsula and ensures freedom of movement into and out of Kotor Bay.

Irish involvement with the International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia ICFY — finished in April of this year. Since October 1994 we have deployed two officers for service with this mission which was co-chaired by the UN and EU, and monitored the delivery of humanitarian aid across designated border crossing points between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Bosnia-Hercegovina.

The amount currently owed by the UN is £12.8 million approximately. Arrears of approximately £4.5 million were paid in 1995. The annual extra costs, net of reimbursements, of our current UN commitments, is about £3.6 million. On average in 1995 there were approximately 700 personnel involved in the various missions throughout the year. Normal pay and allowances amounted to approximately £14 million.

Notwithstanding the considerable undertaking which it represents both in financial and personnel terms, the Government remains committed, with due regard to the safety of our troops, to the principle of military participation in UN operations in the cause of international peace and we can reflect, with justifiable pride, on Irish military personnel who have been actively and continuously involved in UN missions for nearly 40 years, often in very senior positions. As the House will be aware, yesterday the Dáil approved a motion for participation by the Irish Defence Forces in the temporary UN multinational force established for humanitarian purposes in regard to the situation in Eastern Zaire. Planning for the dispatch of personnel of the Defence Forces for this purpose is under way in my Department at present.

I am confident our personnel will continue to serve the United Nations with distinction, demonstrating, in practical ways, our support for the highest ideals of that organisation.

Mr. M. Smith

I thank the Minister for coming into the House, against some odds, to outline the range of activities in which our Defence Forces are involved in peace-keeping activities in many different parts of the world. Since we joined the United Nations and our first troops went to the Congo 36 years ago, we have been proud of the role played by a small nation and defence force in helping strife torn communities where there are ethnic conflicts, famine and many other problems. Because of our non-colonial history we have been welcomed in most parts of the world and we hope that will always be the position.

Involvement in the United Nations and the involvement of our troops overseas is crucial to the development of the Defence Forces. Not only does it keep up morale, but it is also an important part of training and ensures that those who enter the forces will be capable of representing us overseas.

This motion gives us an opportunity to reflect on how the changes taking place in the world will place increased demands on the Minister for Defence to continue to improve the range of activities in which we can engage abroad. In this regard, we must question the facilities available to our forces, whether two armoured cars are sufficient to ensure the safety of our troops and, equally important, whether we are able to participate in a meaningful way where the United Nations may call on us to serve. As cost is a major consideration in this regard, perhaps the Minister should consider, for the first time, leasing equipment for the Defence Forces. It is not necessary to incur very large expenditure. The Minister should consider supporting the Defence Forces and providing more sophisticated equipment by way of leasing. He might also consider introducing legislation to facilitate the signing and ratification by the Government of the convention on the safety of United Nations troops and associated personnel. He is aware concern has been expressed by Defence Forces personnel on this matter because a number of other countries and some of our partners in Europe have ratified that convention. There should not be any great difficulty in that regard. This side of the House would support the early introduction of legislation to facilitate its ratification.

It is a matter of disappointment to the House that there continue to be arrears in funding from the United Nations for which no blame attaches to the Minister. I am sure he has made his case as strongly as possible and it should be made to some of the larger nations whose resistance to meeting their financial commitments to the United Nations is deplorable. Those nations, which can afford to contribute much more than this country, have been very deficient in ensuring the capacity of the United Nations is enhanced by making available necessary funds to deal with many of the situations. We can only ask the Minister once again to do whatever is possible because we have limited resources. The present position is not fair to small countries anxious to get involved. As agreed yesterday, we are sending a small contingent to eastern Zaire and other problems will arise in the future. It is important that the necessary funds are made available to the United Nations to enable it to discharge its obligations and, if possible, to refund the participating nations more quickly.

Regarding our continuing capacity to meet our obligations in this area, there are reports that Army personnel are overstretched in carrying out their duties here, particularly Border duties. When reviewing the Defence Forces it is important to ensure the necessary numbers are available to enable us to respond quickly to our international obligations. The necessary personnel, highly trained and motivated, should be available in the force to do this work. Because of voluntary early retirement and the lack of consistent recruitment over many years, Defence Forces personnel are extremely overstretched. In the context of this brief debate this morning, it is important to record that we should never again allow the situation to develop whereby we do not have a consistent recruitment campaign to deal with wastage in the Defence Forces. All the bottlenecks and other problems are emerging now. Those that existed with regard to the hump, as it is called, developed because we have not had a consistent recruitment programme. I know the Minister is contemplating certain changes in the five-year contract which we urge him to complete as soon as possible. We must ensure mistakes made in the past are not repeated. If we do that, it will place us in a much stronger position to have troops available in increasing numbers to serve with the United Nations.

A reading of the Minister's statement highlights the geography, range, variety and diversity of work our troops are called upon to do. It is an indication of what must be done in terms of training, recruitment and providing facilities, equipment and so on to ensure we deliver on our mandate. This side of the House supports all these activities and we look forward to ensuring we can always be in a position to respond to these great needs wherever they arise in the world.

Mr. Molloy

Members on the Opposition benches are somewhat at a disadvantage in this brief debate. We are here to discuss a report on the United Nations peacekeeping activities of the Irish Defence Forces during 1995, but we have not had advance copies of that report. We have only been able to formulate our views as the Minister made his speech. He gave a brief description of the various trouble spots around the world where our Defence Forces members are serving. This is not a satisfactory way to go about discussing defence policy in Parliament.

All in this House will agree our country is proud of the record of service of United Nations peacekeeping missions in which Irish Defence Forces personnel have participated. Starting with the Congo nearly 40 years ago Irish troops have served with great distinction around the world. As the Minister reported to the House, in 1995 our troops were serving with 13 United Nations missions in international trouble spots. Wherever they have served, our troops have acquitted themselves well, have earned a high reputation and, in general, have won a wide level of acceptance from the local population. The people are rightly proud of the record of our peacekeepers overseas and politicians are happy to bask in the reflected glory arising from the outstanding level of service our Defence Forces personnel have given in all the missions they have undertaken under the flag of the United Nations.

Our Defence Forces are now about to embark on one of their most difficult and challenging peacekeeping assignments in several years. They are about to participate in the temporary multinational force set up to deal with the situation in eastern Zaire on which a motion was agreed yesterday. That mission will take Irish troops into unfamiliar, dangerous and inhospitable territory. All in this House wish them well in their difficult and demanding task. If we are to continue to contribute to the United Nations international peacekeeping effort, it is important we maintain a Permanent Defence Force that is well motivated, adequately equipped and properly provided for. Above all, morale should be high at all times. The Permanent Defence Force should be capable of undertaking any assignment the Government gives it, but unfortunately all the indications are that its morale is at rock bottom.

The Defence Forces are grossly under strength, the hours worked in duties at home are excessive and pay and conditions are poor. This is highlighted for many soldiers when they are on Border duty and cash escort duty with the Garda. There is a lack of political leadership of the Defence Forces. We do not have a defence policy in any meaningful sense like the coherent, well-thought and well managed defence policies that other small European countries such as Denmark, Norway and Switzerland have. Morale in the Defence Forces is as low as it is because of the lack of political commitment. Low morale contributes to a situation where hundreds of officers, among them the brightest and the best, have opted for early retirement instead of a military career. That lack of political commitment is evident everywhere in the Defence Forces.

We must rationalise and streamline our whole defence infrastructure to make the force more effective and efficient. Of necessity, that will involve barrack closures. The Minister has shown no willingness to grasp this nettle. Important decisions are postponed until after the next election and the election after that. This restructuring is essential if our Defence Forces are to cope with the challenges of the 21st century and if they are to be properly equipped to undertake the series of missions this House is allocating them.

Instead, our forces will enter the next millennium in a condition that is far from ideal. The conditions in the Army Apprentice School in Naas, County Kildare, are substandard. It is not satisfactory that such conditions should continue to be tolerated in the Defence Forces. The Air Corps are using helicopters up to 33 years old and the manufacturers are surprised when they learn those helicopters are still airworthy and in use. The Naval Service has vessels tied up in ports because there are not enough personnel to keep those vessels on patrol in our territorial and fishery waters, one of our most valuable natural assets. It is being raped regularly by foreign fishing vessels and international drug traffickers use the Irish coast as a safe haven for their activities despite the best efforts of the Naval Service.

Let us send our troops on their mission to Zaire but let us also have a properly thought out defence policy. The world around us is changing rapidly. Surely it is time to have a real debate on defence policy and that the Government brought forward a White Paper, or at least a Green Paper, on this subject. We cannot continue indefinitely to ignore the area of national defence in making public policy.

Mr. Power

The debate on the report of the Minister regarding our Defence Forces serving with the UN is a good idea. As speakers said, we take this for granted. The wonderful work of the Defence Forces abroad is only brought to our attention when things go wrong. They are trying to bring peace to different parts of the world. Participation on UN duty has always been seen as a great opportunity by members of the Defence Forces. They are limited in what they can do at home and most see it as an opportunity to put their training into action.

In general, Governments have been mature and treated requests for international duty seriously. That is how it should be. The safety of the Defence Forces should always be of the utmost importance. It is worrying that this year there was a difficulty in putting together a sufficient number to serve overseas. I attended the RACO and PDFORRA conferences and this matter received much debate. It was suggested that boredom was one of the reasons there was a difficulty in getting sufficient volunteers for service abroad and that may be true. Some Defence Forces personnel have served abroad eight to ten times, particularly in the Lebanon. There would be a certain familiarity and repetition then for them, especially in the training given before going overseas which they would regard as unnecessary.

The Defence Forces chiefs have decided to make changes to make this more attractive. Financially, overseas service does not have the attraction it used to have and we must examine this. The Minister mentioned the financial implications of our participation in the UN. He said that at present the UN owes us almost £13 million and that arrears of £4.5 million were paid last year. This has not just arisen under this Government or the previous one. It has gone on for some time and we have raised our concerns about it before.

When Deputy Andrews was Minister for Defence, he assured the Select Committee on Legislation and Security on Committee Stage that a serious effort was being made to redress this UN funding. He felt the problem could be solved within a matter of a few years. We have not made much progress on this and the Minister should use his good offices to rectify the situation. It is not good enough. We have made a contribution far above what would be expected of us because of our size. That should not be taken for granted and the financial aspect should be addressed quickly.

To return to the problem of getting personnel for overseas service, the opportunities in new missions for our Defence Forces should be seriously considered by the Minister. We are going to send personnel to eastern Zaire. I wish them well and hope our efforts there will be rewarded. As said by other speakers, our Defence Forces have a tremendous record in overseas service. They have always been seen as independent and neutral in areas of major conflict. This has had a beneficial effect. They have been tremendous ambassadors for us. This was recognised by President Clinton when he addressed the House.

The lack of equipment restricts the capacity of the Defence Forces to serve overseas. While I accept a Minister for Defence will always find it difficult to obtain the necessary finances to provide better equipment and improve infrastructure, if we are serious about restructuring the Defence Forces, this nettle will have to be grasped. Now is the time to grasp it.

The Defence Forces operate from a number of valuable properties. As housekeeping duties are taking up far too much time, a major decision will have to be made to redress this. The voluntary early retirement package will result in savings in the not too distant future. The Minister should insist that these savings are reinvested to provide essential new equipment and improve infrastructure. This would have a much greater effect on morale in the Defence Forces than any other decision the Minister could make.

My colleague, Deputy Michael Smith, highlighted the lack of continuity in recruitment. We should acknowledge the folly of our ways in the past and not allow this to happen. While I accept there are ever increasing demands for funds in all Departments, lack of continuity in recruitment has a detrimental effect on morale in the Defence Forces.

I pay tribute to the spouses and families of Defence Forces personnel serving overseas. An organisation has been established in the Curragh to help them keep in touch with one another, as this can be a lonely time. This is often forgotten until something goes wrong. In preparing the Estimates, if they have not already been agreed, the Minister may find it possible to allocate a small sum to allow this organisation continue its good work.

I thank the Minister for coming into the House to present the report. I wish to be associated with the remarks made about the men and women in the Defence Forces who have given of their time and effort in the interest of keeping the peace throughout the world. They have done us proud. Long may this continue.

Minister of State at the Department of Defence (Mr. J. Higgins)

On my own behalf and that of the Minister, Deputy Barrett, I thank Deputies Michael Smith, Molloy and Power for participating in the debate. It has been acknowledged that in recent months we have had the most dramatic review of the Defence Forces ever undertaken. There has been an in-depth analysis, constant consultation with the two representative organisations representing officers and rank and file members, and numerous discussions with other interested groups. Having listened to the views of all sides, a plan has been put in place to ensure we will have a well motivated, vibrant and highly skilled army which will continue to do us proud at national and international level.

Deputy Power alluded to the boredom factor. We have decided to enlist over a three year period 1,000 new recruits to inject new blood into the Defence Forces. We are seeking to ensure we will have a well trained and equipped and highly motivated force. We acknowledge there are deficiencies but there is an ongoing programme of barracks refurbishment to improve office accommodation and training facilities. On the question of resources, we are seeking to ensure the balance is tipped in the direction of equipment rather than pay. As Deputies are aware, the current ratio is 80:20 in favour of pay. We aim to achieve a ratio of 70:30 in providing modern communications equipment to meet the demands of the modern soldier.

Last year we had the pleasure of signing a multi-million dollar contract with an American company to ensure Defence Forces personnel serving with United Nations peacekeeping or observation forces have the best communications equipment available to them in carrying out their duties. We are seeking to ensure Defence Forces personnel do the jobs for which they have been trained, in other words, that they are involved in active soldiering duties.

The question of arrears continues to exercise our minds. The Departments of Defence and Foreign Affairs are constantly pressing the United Nations to discharge the arrears due in recognition of the fact that the Defence Forces are entitled to be paid for the good work they are doing. This has to be viewed, however, in context of the reality of the financial situation which continues to afflict the United Nations.

Deputy Power raised the issue of morale. In September I visited the Middle East and saw at first hand the tremendous work being done by Irish troops in the cause of peace. I visited Irish troops serving with the United Nations Force in Cyprus. The force commander in Cyprus, Brigadier General Vartiainen, specially mentioned Ireland's contribution during the years to UNFICYP. The Chief of Staff of UNFICYP, Colonel Talbot, also commended the Irish involvement.

I also visited the Irish contingent serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. Irish contingents have served with UNIFIL since 1978 and while the mandate has not yet been fulfilled, a great deal has been achieved in the intervening years. An important contribution has been made to the lives of thousands of Lebanese people who have been protected from the worst excesses of the conflict and allowed to lead a near normal lifestyle.

One of the highlights of my visit to South Lebanon was the ceremony for the presentation of medals by the force commander to the Irish troops serving there. The force commander, Major General Wozniak, was generous in his tributes to the work done by successive Irish battalions. He stated that Irish troops had made an immeasurable contribution to the efforts made by the United Nations to fulfil the mandate laid down in the Security Council Resolutions.

While in the Middle East I took the opportunity to travel to Damascus where I met the Irish military observers serving with the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation. The issue of the Golan Heights, a place which I visited while in Syria, is one which is crucial to the ultimate success of the Middle East peace process. I also met Major General Mustafa Tlass, the Syrian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence. General Tlass expressed his country's appreciation of Ireland's contribution, through its involvement in the UNTSO mission, to the whole peace process.

The Government regards the United Nations as the principal forum for the peaceful resolution of international conflict. As a small neutral country, Ireland has a particular interest in the effective operation of the UN in accordance with its charter. Our security depends on the establishment of international order rather than on force of arms. Our commitment to the peacekeeping efforts of the United Nations is a practical expression of our dedication to the maintenance of world peace and security.

Ireland has a long tradition of supporting United Nations peacekeeping missions. We have contributed actively and continuously to such operations since 1958 when a group of officers took up duty in Lebanon with a United Nations observer group. Since then about 44,000 Irish personnel have participated in UN missions. This has been a considerable commitment for a nation of this size and has been made possible by the willingness of members of the Defence Forces to volunteer for UN service.

Recently the Government approved the participation of the Defence Forces in the United Nations stand-by arrangements system. The concept of stand-by forces for UN peacekeeping missions has been in the course of development since 1990. This system is intended to enhance the United Nations' capacity for rapid response to emergency situations. Member states will specify resources which could be made available within agreed response times for UN peacekeeping operations mandated by the Security Council. These resources may be military individuals or units, civilian police, civilian personnel, equipment or services. Our commitment in terms of military personnel will be up to 850 people. This is indicative of the Government's strong commitment to peacekeeping.

A total of 688 military personnel are currently serving with ten United Nations missions in a total of 13 countries as follows: Lebanon, Israel, Syria, Cyprus, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Western Sahara, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia and in the USA at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The number of Irish military personnel currently serving overseas with United Nations missions represents 5.5 per cent of our armed forces. This equates to 191 personnel per million of population.

Irish military personnel have also rendered service in United Nations missions in Iran, Namibia, Zaire-Congo, West Guinea, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, India, Angola, Cambodia, El Salvador, Iraq and Somalia.

The preservation of peace is not achieved easily or without cost to members of the Defence Forces and we are all very much aware of the sacrifices that are often required in order that the defenceless may be protected and made safe. We remember with deep gratitude the courage and heroism of those members of the Defence Forces who have died, or suffered injury, so that communities torn by strife can have an opportunity to live in peace and security.

The professional advantages of service with UN missions are substantial. The benefits as regards training are particularly evident in the context of our UNIFIL contingent. In Lebanon our battalion personnel from junior NCO rank upwards have the opportunity to exercise command in dangerous operational situations. Valuable experience is gained in patrolling and in defusing tension. There is a lot to be learnt from holding staff appointments in force headquarters. Interaction with contingents of other countries and exposure to methods employed by them is also beneficial. The wide experience gained from participation in UN peacekeeping operations is of benefit, not only to the Defence Forces in the discharge of their functions in aid of the civil power but also to various Departments and local authorities which, as occasion demands, have reason to avail of emergency services provided by the Defence Forces.

I commend the professionalism and dedication of members of the Defence Forces who have a long and proud tradition in peacekeeping operations. The skills of negotiation and diplomacy for which they are renowned are often more important than their professional military skills. I take this opportunity to assure the House of this Government's continued commitment to involvement in United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Question put and agreed to.