First, Chairman and Deputies, it is a privilege for me to be here in my capacity as a Minister of the Irish Government being part of a small piece of history in the sense that this is the first time in the history of the Dáil, we have a committee of this type. We are operating under an entirely new procedure. It is my intention to assist both the Chairman, and the members of the Committee, in every respect possible in the sense of openness and transparency. I will give as much information as I can in the context of the security needs and requirements of the Defence portfolio.
This morning's examination of the Defence and Army Pensions Estimates by this Committee is an important first for Dáil Éireann. This is the first occasion on which the new procedures for the consideration of departmental Estimates will be used. I would like to pay tribute to the party Whips who have put a considerable effort into establishing the committee system. I would particularly like to thank my colleague, Deputy Dempsey, the Government Chief Whip and Minister of State at the Department of Defence, who has been of great assistance to me since my appointment and who has played a major role in this needed Dáil reform.
I am certain that the extra time which the new system will make available, together with the opportunity to raise questions in a more open format will be welcomed on all sides of the House. I welcome the opportunity to participate in a more detailed discussion of the Estimates. I am confident that this Committee will make a valuable contribution to more openness and transparency in Government decision-making.
Before dealing with the Estimate provisions, I would like to refer to the review of the roles of the Defence Forces which I am now undertaking as a necessary first step to facilitate a fundamental review of the organisation of the Defence Forces.
The present roles of the Defence Forces were formally set down by the then Minister for Defence in 1981. The primary role was defined as the defence of the State against external aggression. However, in the intervening years, the operational focus of the Defence Forces has been elsewhere. As Deputies can appreciate over the years a different development has taken place and a different focus has emerged in the performance of tasks such as international peacekeeping, in aid to the civil power, in fishery protection and in search and rescue operations. Moreover, the level of resource allocation by successive Governments has in practice been geared towards those tasks.
Since my appointment as Minister for Defence, I have been struck by the divergence between the stated primary role and the actual work of the Defence Forces. The lack of clarity over their role has been unfair to the Defence Forces and it has hindered management planning to the detriment of the overall efficiency.
It is widely acknowledged that there is a need for a fundamental reorganisation of the Defence Forces. However, unless the root and branch review is to be guided by a clear and unambiguous set of objectives for the Defence Forces, it will amount to no more than a sterile and aimless exercise in cost cutting. By the redefinition of roles in modern day conditions with emphasis on the actual tasks of the Defence Forces, it is the Government's intention to facilitate a reorganisation which will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service.
The Defence Forces have served under the flag of the United Nations since 1958. Over the past 34 years, Ireland's international prestige has been greatly enhanced by their outstanding role as international peacekeepers — a point brought home to me once more during my St. Patrick's Day visit to our troops serving in Lebanon. At present, approximately 750 military personnel are serving overseas in 12 or 13 countries — a very substantial commitment to international peacekeeping for a small country like Ireland. We have to keep our position in perspective in this regard and I have no doubt that I will be addressing that point more fully. In other words, where do we serve, when do we serve, how do we serve and what is our commitment.
Wherever they serve, the patience, diplomacy, discipline and military professionalism, of Irish soldiers have won universal acclaim. We are completely dependent for our continuing contribution to international peacekeeping on the willingness of our military personnel to volunteer — and I stress the word "volunteer"— to serve as peacekeepers. I would like to place on record, once again, the appreciation of the Government for the courage and dedication shown by the men and women of the Defence Forces in the cause of peace.
Since the United Nations organisation was founded in 1945, more than 100 major conflicts have resulted in approximately 20 million deaths. The division of the post-war world frequently left the UN powerless to intervene. The impotence of the United Nations in the face of superpower rivalry throughout the Cold War is illustrated by the 279 vetoes exercised by members of the Security Council during that period.
However, the end of the Cold War has transformed the international environment and greatly enhanced the scope for intervention by the UN. As a consequence, the demand for peacekeeping missions has greatly increased. In the 32 year period between 1945 and 1987, 13 peacekeeping operations were established. In the five years which followed, another 13 were established. In a world free from superpower rivalry, the scope for intervention by the United Nations in disputes has broadened and this necessarily has consequences for Ireland and the role which we have traditionally played as peacekeepers.
These issues have been brought to the fore by the situation in Somalia. The United Nations is at present assembling a multinational force known as UNOSOM II to take over from the unified task force comprising armed forces from the United States and other countries on completion of Operation Restore Hope. It is fair to pay tribute to the Americans in that regard; in taking over the country in the circumstances they did they covered over 40 per cent of the territory and I understand they took into possession one-third of the armaments in that blighted nation.
The mandate of the new force is broader than any in which we have previously participated and includes a role in enforcing peace. The Government will shortly make a formal response to the United Nations' request for Irish participation. In that regard I might add, that not only will the Government make a response, it will also make a decision. That decision will be brought to the attention of the Houses of the Oireachtas, who in the final analysis have to take a decision based on the principle of collectivism and collective responsibility.
It is my belief that the Irish people, who have responded so generously to the cry for help from the people of Somalia, fully support our participation in UNOSOM. I visited Somalia on two occasions and the scale of human suffering inflicted on innocent men, women and children defies description. Armed forces from the United States, acting with contingents from other countries, have succeeded in stabilising the situation. However, a longer term commitment is required if a lasting peace is to be restored and the shattered economic infrastructure in Somalia rebuilt.
I am convinced that public opinion would be critical of any attempt to obstruct our participation in UNOSOM because of fears concerning our neutrality. Neutrality and isolationism are two different things. Standing on the sidelines while an entire people starve is not a moral posture. This Committee will have a full opportunity of discussing all of the implications of participation in UNOSOM assuming a positive response by the Government to the UN request.
Before leaving the area of peacekeeping, I would like to refer to speculation concerning the situation in the former Yugoslavia. Fourteen personnel of the Defence Forces are serving in a traditional peacekeeping role with the United Nations and European Community missions. The tradegy of the war in Bosnia has provoked a world wide debate on the role of the United Nations and the possibility of military intervention. There has been some speculation in the news media about a possible Irish involvement. I would like to make a number of observations in that regard.
The Government has not received any request from any quarter to participate in any military intervention in Bosnia. Accordingly, any concerns about the possible implications for this country of a UN mission to Bosnia are based on speculation and hypothesis. We have not been asked for troops. At present we are not anticipating a request. Should such a request be received in the future, it will be considered in the light of the circumstances which obtain at that time. Among the factors which the Government would consider would be the large numbers already serving overseas. The Defence Forces must give priority to the provision of aid to the civil power, including Border patrols, and remain ready to deal with any contingency which might arise. We might keep in mind that the Defence Forces comprise of between 12,000 and 13,000 personnel. There is a limit to the number of personnel that can be spared for overseas service. I wish to emphasise that the proposed amendments to the Defence (Amendment) Act, 1960, would not affect the requirement for a resolution of the Dáil before an armed contingent of 12 or more Defence Forces personnel could be sent abroad on any new mission.
The world has changed dramatically over the past few years. In particular, as the United Nations finally grasps the opportunity to act as its founders intended, we cannot attach conditions to our membership and participation in peacekeeping which ignore the new realities of the 1990s. We should remember that Ireland's neutrality has not been affected or diminished in any way by our participation in international forces operating under the United Nations flag in the past. If anything, it has been enhanced. In this regard, it is important to remember that the United Nations Charter of 1945 contains Chapter 7 which deals with peace enforcement. We have been members of the United Nations for many years with that chapter extant and at no time has our membership of the United Nations in the context of Chapter 7 been raised or questioned. I agree that Chapter 7 is only being brought into operation now.
Over the next four years, the direction of Government will be set by the provisions of the Programme for a Partnership Government. In the Defence area, we are committed to equipping the Defence Forces to carry out their principal missions both at home and overseas; to expanding our fisheries surveillance capacity in conjunction with the European Community and to developing the capacity of the Defence Forces to assist the community. We are also determined to continue to improve the conditions of service of the men and women who serve in the Defence Forces.
The Defence Estimate for the year 1993 is for a gross sum of £355 million — an increase of more than £7 million on the 1992 figure. The bulk of the Estimate, £285.6 million or approximately 80 per cent, provides for pay and allowances. This represents an increase of just over £11 million over the 1992 outturn. The Estimate is based on an average total strength of 12,901 in the Defence Forces comprising 1,580 officers, 56 cadets, 65 members of the nursing service and 11,200 other ranks. Provision is also made for the training of approximately 9,000 FCA and Slua Muirí personnel.
Non-pay expenditure in the sum of £69.6 million is provided in 24 subheads. members of the Committee have been provided with details of the subheads in advance. As we will be considering these provisions individually later on in today's proceedings, I do not intend to dwell upon them now. I would, however, draw the Deputies' attention to the provision of £2.067 million for Civil Defence.
The Civil Defence organisation runs on the voluntary and unpaid service of thousands of dedicated volunteers throughout Ireland. Originally established to assist in protecting the civil population in wartime, the organisation has developed into a multi purpose community support service. Civil Defence volunteers are trained in a variety of skills including fire fighting, first aid, rescue and welfare. These skills are routinely placed at the disposal of local authorities. For example, Civil Defence volunteers frequently provide crowd control and first aid at large public events. During the past year, Civil Defence volunteers have assisted in the care of refugees from the former Yugoslavia.
In 1992, a new development programme, entitled Towards 2000, was adopted as a blueprint for the coming years. My colleague, the Minister of State who has special responsibility for Civil Defence will be pleased to brief the Committee on this important development and any other matters which may arise during the course of today's discussions.
The last item in the Estimate for Defence — Appropriations-in-Aid — is an estimate of the revenue which will be received by the Department in the course of 1993. Income arises from a number of sources including the sale of surplus property, assistance from the European Community in respect of the costs of fishery protection — principally the CASA aircraft at present under construction — and payments from the banks for cash escorts. We have accepted delivery of a used aircraft in 1991 and we hope to take delivery of two new craft in 1994.
Provision is also made for reimbursement from the United Nations for the costs of Irish troops serving with UN peacekeeping missions. The present situation with regard to the financing of peacekeeping missions is less than satisfactory; payments in respect of UNIFIL are constantly in arrears. Within the past few weeks a payment of approximately £1.75 million has been received. However, almost £13 million remains outstanding. In this regard the United Nations intends repaying its debt over a period of five years on a phased basis and this will be helpful. It is wrong that a small country with limited financial resources should have to carry debts of this magnitude in respect of international peacekeeping. I have written to the Secretary General of the United Nations to express my grave concern at this situation. It remains my intention to travel to the United Nations in New York later this year to discuss our role within the United Nations. I intend to use this occasion to press once again for action on the question of the UN's debt to Ireland.
I would now like to turn to the Army Pensions Estimate for the year ending 31 December 1993 which is for a net sum of £51,790,000 representing an increase of £2,360,000 or 5 per cent on the 1992 outturn.
The bulk of expenditure from the Estimate falls under subhead E1 and covers pensions and gratuities granted under the Defence Forces pensions, schemes to former members of the Permanent Defence Force and their dependants. These items account for 83 per cent of the total Estimate with approximately 6,520 pensioners.
All pensions and allowances are being increased from 1 January and 1 December 1993, in line with the pay increases from those dates under the modified terms of the agreement on pay and conditions associated with the Programme for Economic and Social Progress. Exceptionally and in line with similar arrangements applicable elsewhere in the public service, retirement gratuities and other once-off lump sum payments are being increased from 1 January 1993, as if the full pay increase due under theProgramme for Economic and Social Progress has been paid from that date. Moreover, the full 3.75 per cent increase is being applied from 1 January to the pensions and allowances payable to veterans of the War of Independence and the dependants of deceased veterans.
I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the surviving veterans who are in a special category. As the events in which they were involved took place more than 70 years ago, there may be a tendency to forget them. This would be a mistake and as a nation, we should not overlook the sacrifices which these veterans had to make on our behalf in the period leading up to the foundation of the State.
The number of military service pensioners provided for is 203. In addition there are 517 recipients of special allowances under the Army Pensions Acts as well as 4,596 dependants. The decline in the numbers of these categories of pensioners is reflected in the provisions included in the Estimate.
I would like to conclude by thanking the members of the Committee for their attention. I will be pleased to answer any questions which Members wish to raise on the Estimates during the course of the day, keeping in mind that I am not omniscient, and I may not have answers to all the questions. If I cannot answer a question raised, I will communicate with the Deputy concerned.