Ar dtús be mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil dos na Seanadóirí ar fad as ucht an fáilte atá tugtha acu don Bhille seo—An Bille Cosanta (Leasú) 1978. Cé go bhfuil a lán caint déanta anseo agus a lán moltaí déanta níl sa Bhille seo ach céim nua a cheapadh san Arm agus céim nua a cheapadh sa Seirbhís Cabhlaigh—an céim nua, ná briogáidire—ghinearál san Arm agus Seach-Aimiréal sa Seirbhís Cabhlaigh. Beidh and briogáidire—ghinearál ar comhchéim leis an ceannasóir agus beidh an céim nua sa Seirbhís Cabhlaigh —Seach-Aimiréil—ar chomhchéim le Maor Ghinearál san Arm.
I would like to thank Senators from all sides of the House for the welcome they have given to this Bill which establishes new ranks in the Army and the Naval Service, that of brigadier-general in the Army and rear-admiral in the Navy. As I stated in my few introductory words, it is proposed immediately on the passing of this Bill to appoint the command OCs to the new rank of brigadier-general and also to promote the assistant chief of staff to this new rank of brigadier-general.
Even though I propose to add to the list of naval ranks by the addition of rear-admiral, I do not have any immediate proposals for the filling of that rank in the Naval Service. I felt it is appropriate to include the rank now because this Bill gives me that opportunity, but I do not have any immediate plans for the filling of it. The reason for that is fairly obvious. The establishment in the Naval Service when I was appointed Minister was 600 and since then, in a year-and-a-half, I have increased that establishment to 800. The establishment figure is not filled; there are many vacancies in the Naval Service. The actual strength at the moment is nearer to 700, or indeed less than 700. We have a long way to go to fill the establishment figure of 800.
Reference has been made to the need for rapid growth in the Naval Service. Presuming that our plans succeed and that that growth becomes a reality, it might be possible that in the future we will fill the rank of rear-admiral. At the moment it stands in the Defence Acts merely as a spare rank over and above the rank of commodore which has been granted, and which might be used as the rank for OC of the Naval Service in the future. It is wise to have a spare rank as we have for Army ranks—we have this in the Defence Acts, as can be seen under the Schedule to this Bill, the rank of general.
Senators raised certain points during the course of the debate and I will try to reply to them as fully as possible. I do not often get the opportunity to discuss defence matters in the Seanad, or indeed in the Dáil, and for that reason I am pleased that this Bill has given me the opportunity to hear the views of Members of the Seanad on the Defence Forces. It is obvious that they all hold those who serve and have served in the Defence Forces in very high esteem. The Seanad today expressed very great appreciation of the excellent loyal service that has been, and is being, given both at home and abroad by the men serving in the Irish Defence Forces. May I on their behalf thank Senators most sincerely for their words of encouragement and appreciation as expressed here today?
An interesting point was raised by Senator Cooney which was repeated by other Senators regarding brigade commands. Senator Conroy very interestingly gave us the historical background to the origins of the rank of brigadier-general, and I am very grateful to him for that. I should explain that in this country military command is given to the command OC by the Minister and that a brigade is commanded by a colonel who is responsible to the command OCs. It would not be appropriate in our circumstances to attach the rank of brigadier-general to the brigade commander because the military commander for his area of operations is in fact the command OC. As I already informed the Seanad I propose to promote the command OCs to this rank. It is possible that it is unique to the Irish situation, but in all circumstances I think all will agree that this is the most reasonable and proper step for me to take. I am satisfied that the rank of colonel is appropriate for the brigade commander and that the rank of brigadier-general is more suitable for the command OC.
Senator Cooney mentioned the question of remuneration of our troops, particularly in relation to those on security duties and other special duties. Since my appointment as Minister, I have arranged for increases in the security duty allowances and in the allowances paid for those who do duty at the military detention barracks at the Curragh. As was mentioned by Senator Harte, allowances for overseas services in all the theatres of operation have also been substantially increased. As an example, allowances for services in the Lebanon have been increased from £3.80 a day to £7.30 a day for the private and the figure ranges up to £11.88 a day for a senior officer. I want to assure Senators who expressed concern at the level of remuneration that all these allowances are kept constantly under review and any adjustments regarded as necessary will be made. I consider it my responsibility to ensure that those matters are kept constantly under review and that steps are taken to bring about improvements wherever necessary.
Comparisons are made from time to time with regard to remuneration of the Garda who seem at particular times to be doing duties similar to those of military personnel. It is difficult to make a direct comparison between the method of remuneration for both. All I can say as Minister for Defence is that I will seek at all times to bring about improvements in the rate of remuneration to those serving in the Irish Army for whom I am responsible.
At present we are running a recruiting campaign. I would ask all the Members to avail of whatever opportunities may arise to encourage young men to join the forces, because if they do so they are assured of a very healthy life, a very satisfying career and the remuneration is very good in comparison with what was paid to those serving in the forces 20 to 30 years ago. Conditions in the Army have improved very substantially in recent years and I acknowledge the interest shown by my predecessor, Deputy Paddy Donegan, when he was Minister for Defence. I also acknowledge the very great work, and indeed the foundations, laid by his predecessor, Deputy Cronin. With all due respect to previous Ministers for Defence, previous to Deputy Cronin, many of us were neglectful of the services until the emergency of 1969-70. Then there was a realisation on the part of the community that a lot was suddenly expected of the Defence Forces, that they were not up to the required strength or standard, the equipment had not been kept up to date and that there was need for a massive improvement.
It is satisfying to record that since those years the whole image of the Army has changed. The plans immediately set afoot for the improvement of facilities in barracks, the construction of new billets, and improvement in canteen-dining facilities, soldiers' recreational facilities and equipment all dated from that time. I think it is proper to include Deputy Cronin in any expression of appreciation in regard to improvements in the Defence Forces.
My task is to ensure that all these improvements continue. I invite Senators to examine the Book of Estimates for 1979 and they will see there under the various subheads increases in the allocations to the Department of Defence to enable massive increases in the purchase of equipment for the Defence Forces to take place duing 1979. I hope that when this year is out we will have made a major contribution by re-equipping the Army with modern equipment and providing it with an adequate supply of ammunition. All the military items which are to be purchased are, unfortunately very expensive. To equip our army with the most modern equipment involves heavy investment on the part of the taxpayers but I can judge from the response in the Dáil Debate and in this debate that the Houses of the Oireachtas fully support that expendiure, and for that I am very greatful.
Senator Dowling spoke of the need for promotional opportunities for NCOs. He has great experience of the Defence Forces, having himself served but I am glad the debate did not move along the lines of a class distinction between officers and men. All those who serve in the Defence Forces are worthy of equal consideration by the Oireachtas. Some will hold positions of greater authority and responsibility than others, and it is my intention to ensure that at all times the opportunities are there for those of the very lowest rank in the Army to rise to the very highest rank.
In 1978 a course for potential officers commenced. NCOs and men were invited to apply for positions which were available on this potential officers course which is now under way. Quite a large number of men who otherwise would not have had the opportunity of achieving commissioned ranks are at present undergoing the course which should lead to commissioned rank for them. I wish them success in that course and satisfaction and enjoyment in the Army when they become commissioned officers.
We are very anxious that that door will always be left open to provide a way in which men, who on leaving school may not have had the opportunity to gain a cadetship and take up a career in the Army as commissioned officers but who having joined as regular soldiers and having shown their metier would be given the opportunity to become commissioned later on. I hope to ensure that these courses will be held on a regular basis to provide the path from the lowest private to the highest rank in the Army at all times. We are all very conscious that there is no class distinction in the Army even though the military law and Defence Acts provide for a very strict code of discipline and a recognition of the authority of rank is a matter of great importance in maintaining morale, respect, discipline and dignity within any army. At the same time while there is respect for rank all men are treated equally by me no matter what rank they hold.
Questions were raised about the role of the Army. Let me briefly say that it is not intended that there should be any change in the traditional role of our Defence Forces but I will come to that later. Their primary task is to defend this country against external agression. They also have a role to play in aiding the civil power. Those who speak of our neutrality and of attempts to weaken the policy of the Government with regard to neutrality cannot point to any utterance from the Government with regard to such weakening of will. It remains, and I hope it will continue to remain, the policy of this Government to maintain a neutral policy. If any consideration is to be given to those matters it is not strictly speaking a matter in the first instance for the Minister for Defence but for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and of course for the Government. Finally there seems to be some who from time to time make statements which indicate that there should be or might a change of will on the part of the Government in regard to neutrality but this is not so.
A number of Senators referred to the question of education in the Army. There was an emphasis by some Senators on the modern soldier being a technician. This is very true. Deputy Gibbons, when Minister for Defence, initiated university courses for young cadets. That was a radical step at that time and has proved very valuable in giving young Army officers the benefit of a university education. There may have been a tendency for cadets to opt for arts courses rather than technical courses such as engineering or science. I have been concerned about that trend since I became Minister and have encouraged young cadets into a wider area of third-level education. I have also opened courses in some regional technical colleges to cadets and extended them to the Physical College of Education in Limerick.
I agree with those who expressed concern that too many of the cadets were following the BA type course. There is in the Estimate for my Department a substantial amount of money allocated to cover the cost of officers and men attending special courses in order to help them gain greater expertise in their particular corps. They have travelled to high level courses in different parts of the world. This policy will be vigourously pursued by me. It is in line with what was suggested by a number of Senators, that the technical training of members of the Defence Forces should receive more attention. If there is need for further improvement in that area then I take the point. I feel a lot has been done which may not be known by the general public. In fact this year an officer is attending a major course in India at the military college there. That is the first time an officer from the Irish Army has gone there but, they regularly attend courses in Britain and on the Continent and at colleges in the United States. The service which our Defence Force personnel give with the United Nations also helps to broaden their outlook, increase their knowledge of equipment, techniques and developments of other defence forces.
Senator Dowling said that young men who wish to enlist in the forces are told after a number of weeks that their enlistment has not been confirmed. I am aware of this and I hope to take some steps to change the procedures. I would like to point out to Senator Dowling that there is very good reason for not confirming enlistment in some cases. Events in this country over the past ten years have highlighted the necessity to ensure that those who are enlisted in the Defence Forces are persons about whom there should be no doubts as to their security risk. It has always been the practice that on application for enlistment an applicant's background would be reported upon to the enlisting officer before enlistment was confirmed. That is essential and it is a practice which will certainly continue. If there is any way in which we can ease the pain for those who eventually find that they are not accepted but I will be only too pleased to do so. The matter is being looked at at the moment but the necessity to ensure that people are good security risks will continue. It is important that that should be so.
A number of Senators mentioned the fact that a Minister for Defence is in a particularly awkward position in that he is stuck between the civil service and the Army. It may seem like that to the outsider that it is an awkward role to have to play and a delicate position to hold and maybe there were times in the past where there might have been strains or problems for people in my position. All I can say is that I am not conscious of it. I have the utmost loyalty from the civil service and from the military and I think I can say that the relationships between the military and the civil service are excellent and possibly have never been better in the history of the Irish Army. I would like to express my appreciation to both sides. I am very grateful for the loyal service which has been given to the State by the civil servants in my Department, and by the officers and men in the Defence Forces.
With regard to the question of promotion procedures I would like to assure the Seanad that all promotion procedures are applied fairly and are made with due regard to the recommendations made to me by the Chief of Staff. I hope that that position will continue and that whatever difficulties arose in the past no such difficulties will arise in the future. I have always sought to ensure that all factors are taken into consideration when promotions are being made, a man's length of service and his performance in the tasks which have been assigned to him up to that time. In a peacetime situation—I suppose you could certainly call it that—the length of service must be a very primary factor in deciding on promotions.
Senator West referred to the service of the Irish troops with the UN. As the House probably knows this service stretches back over 20 years, to 1958, when the first group of observers went to the Lebanon. It encompasses command by Irishmen of the United Nations forces in the Congo and in Cyprus. I would like to assure Senator West that he need have no fear that any structural changes in the Defence Forces will be related to anything other than the needs of the Defence Forces for their roles. Their primary role is the obligation to defend this State against external aggression. Another role is aid to the civil power. This means, in practice, the rendering of assistance when requested to do so to the Garda who have the prime responsibility for the maintenance and restoration of the public peace and for internal security. Further roles are to aid civil defence, to contribute to the peacekeeping activities of the United Nations, fishery protection and such other duties as may be assigned from time to time such as search and rescue, ambulance service, assistance in natural disasters, oil pollution at sea.
As I have already stated the establishment of the Naval Service—which was referred to in some detail by Senator Conroy—has been expanded from 600 to 800 since I took up office. During that time the strength of the Naval Service has increased from 620 to 670. Again, I would like to place an emphasis on the fact that there are many vacancies still to be filled. Indeed, there is an urgent need that they should be filled, because of the programme for increasing the number of ships available to the service.
Senator Conroy mentioned the difficulty that exists in attracting technical officers and in retaining the service of technical officers already in the Naval Service. In industry those with the technical knowledge of marine engineers seem to be in very high demand, both on shore and with other shipping companies. Irish based and worldwide.
We are in a position where we have to compete with the higher rates of remuneration which these organisations are able to pay marine engineers. Every effort will be made by me to further improve conditions for marine engineers in the Irish Navy. I ask the House for its co-operation in recruiting for this very vital service, particularly in those counties adjoining the sea where there may be a sea-going tradition in the family. It is surely a great honour to serve the Irish nation in the Irish Navy. With the expansion that is proposed with assistance from EEC funds, the number of new ships that have been added in recent years, those that are being built at present and those that are planned there will be need for the enlistment of hundreds of additional men at all levels into the Naval Service. The conditions are constantly under review to ensure that service at sea is properly rewarded.
I omitted to mention the salary of the brigadier-general, which was raised by Senator Governey. The pay for the rank of brigadier-general will be £9,700 a year which represents the maximum rate of pay for colonel plus the responsibility allowance of £894 paid at present to the holders of Command OC. In fact, there will be no change in the rate of remuneration of the officers holding the Commander at sea appointment on their promotion to brigadier-general.
May I also inform the Seanad that for some time the whole organisation of the Defence Forces has been under review. Senators will be aware of the increased establishment for the Naval Service that I have mentioned and the creation of a new Command at the Curragh which was done by my predecessor in 1977. This review also embraces the Air Corps and the FCA. It is hoped that the final stages of the review of the organisation of the Army will be announced shortly.
I share Senator Governey's admiration for the Forsa Cosanta Áitiúla. There is no better force to introduce our youth to military service. I intend to pursue vigorously a programme designed to ensure that the military skills of the members of the FCA are brought up to the highest possible standard.
I anticipate, because of the increasing responsibilities of the Air Corps, particularly on fishery patrols, it will be necessary to expand the Air Corps to meet these developments. There are two areas of the Defence Forces for which very rapid expansion is planned in the immediate future, the Naval Service and the Air Corps. As the House is aware a recruitment campaign is at present in progress in order to maintain strength and, indeed, increase strength in the Defence Forces.
Senator Lanigan referred to the question of procedures in regard to court-martial. I am aware of the type of problem that he mentioned. I assure him that the matter is receiving very active consideration. There are some proposals coming before me from the Adjutant General's branch in regard to changes in military law which would affect procedures in regard to courtmartials which many would agree are outmoded and in need of revision and modern principles should be applied. I hope to be able to update matters in that area in the not too distant future.
We had a fairly lengthy debate. I did not expect that we would have because of the restricted nature of the Bill. I have attempted to make some reply to the points that were made. Go raibh maith agaibh as ucht an fáilte atá curtha agaibh roimh an mBille seo. Tá súil agam go mbeidh feabhas ar na Forsaí Cosanta de bharr an obair atá déanta againn anseo inniu.
