Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 9 Dec 1998

Vol. 498 No. 2

Written Answers. - Naval Service Operations.

Eamon Gilmore

Ceist:

112 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Defence if he will confirm that a Naval Service submission on the proposed White Paper on defence indicates that the State is not only ignoring our obligations to protect Europe's second largest sea area but that drug smugglers have a 20 times greater chance of reaching the European market via the Irish maritime corridor; his views on this assessment of the situation; the steps, if any, being taken to deal with it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26728/98]

Minister for Defence (Mr. M. Smith)

A variety of individual views, including the assessment set out in the Deputy's question have been aired in the course of the debate on the future of the Naval Service. To date, I have not received a formal submission on the lines described from the Naval Service.

The issues raised by the Deputy were examined during the EAG review of the Irish Naval Service and Air Corps, and will be further considered, both in the context of the implementation plans for the reorganisation of the Naval Service and the Air Corps as well as part of the general White Paper process.