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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 18 Feb 2015

Vol. 868 No. 2

Other Questions

Naval Service Vessels

Patrick O'Donovan

Ceist:

6. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Defence if home ports have been assigned by the Defence Forces to the new Naval Service vessels which have been acquired by the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6799/15]

This question relates to the recent decommissioning of LE Aoife in Waterford Port and the tradition of establishing a connection between Naval Service vessels and their home ports. I know the Department of Defence and the military have plans for further fleet refurbishment and replacement. Can the Minister provide an update on the work being done on the assignment of home ports, which is a long-established tradition within the Naval Service?

It is normal practice for the Minister for Defence to approve the twinning of a Naval Service vessel with a coastal city or town when the vessel is commissioned and has come into service. While no protocols for twinning are set down, the relationship between the town or city that was twinned with a recently decommissioned Naval Service vessel is traditionally maintained by twinning the newly constructed vessel with that location. For example, LE Samuel Beckett was commissioned in May 2014 and was subsequently twinned with Cork, which was also the twinning port of the vessel it replaced, LE Emer. I understand that cities and towns greatly value this twinning arrangement. This was very apparent in the wonderful decommissioning ceremony that took place in Waterford last month for LE Aoife. Every effort is being made to have a wide geographical spread of twinning locations that have a strong maritime tradition and strong links with the Naval Service. Unfortunately, given the number of ships we have it is possible to have this arrangement with a limited number of locations only. The Deputy might be interested to know that at present, LE Eithne is twinned with Dún Laoghaire, LE Niamh is twinned with Limerick, LE Róisín is twinned with Dublin, LE Aisling is twinned with Galway, LE Aoife was twinned with Waterford before it was decommissioned recently, LE Ciara is twinned with Kinsale, LE Orla is twinned with Dingle and LE Samuel Beckett, which is the newest addition to the Naval fleet, is twinned with Cork. When the LE Aoife is replaced with the LE James Joyce in the near future, we will have to make a decision on what city that ship will be twinned with.

Can I make a pitch for my own home port of Foynes in County Limerick to be considered when the LE James Joyce is commissioned? As the Minister is aware, Foynes was the first location in Ireland to provide an aviation base in the north Atlantic. It has a long tradition. During the First World War, the royal navy's north Atlantic fleet was tied up in Foynes for a period of time. There is a long tradition there. One of the few maritime museums in the country is based there. It is one of the deepest, if not the deepest, ports in the country. It has provided shelter and welcoming hospitality to members of the Naval Service for a long number of years. The Naval Service has a long tradition of attending festivals and other events that are organised in Foynes. Over recent years, the Shannon Estuary has shown itself to be of strategic national importance. Foynes is designated as a port of strategic national importance. The LE James Joyce is coming on stream and is due to be commissioned in the near future. I ask the Minister to consider the strategic national port of Foynes. I understand it has not been a home port to any Naval Service vessel in the past.

I know Foynes very well. As the Deputy said, it is a tier 1 port in Ireland. It is one of the finest natural deep water ports and harbours in Europe. In the past week, I was glad to hear the announcement of a significant investment programme for Foynes. I think it is worth approximately €50 million. The ambitious and talented management team that is managing Foynes Port has big plans for the future development of the port. This is welcome and is very much consistent with Ireland's new ambition of building a bigger and stronger marine economy.

Foynes will be a major part of that, as will other ports.

On the issue of whether we will be able to twin new ship with Foynes, it might be difficult but I will consider it. Since LE Niamh is twinned with Limerick and we need to achieve a broad geographical spread, as best we can, we are trying to ensure the whole coastline is covered. I suspect there will be a very strong claim from Waterford. We will consider what the Deputy has asked for but I do not want to decide today.

In the first part of the Minister's response, he gave a very good reason as to why Foynes should be considered. As he outlined, it is probably one of the premier ports in the country and certainly the most welcoming. I understand the predicament the Minister is in but I urge him to consider the proposal. I acknowledge it is very close to the bottom in the pecking order of the Department of Defence but, in terms of relations between the Department, the wider community and the people who are on the seas day in, day out, it would make a very strong statement if a port of this importance had a direct connection to the Department of Defence.

On the pecking order, Foynes is certainly not close to the bottom.

I did not say that.

I refer to the priority list. The Deputy has raised with me many times issues associated with Foynes. He prioritises the port and is right to do so. Partly because of the political prioritisation of Foynes, we are seeing many quite exciting developments there. When making twinning decisions, I must obviously take into account the proximity of cities and ports that do not have a twinned ship to the nearest ports with twinned ships. We will try to take into account all these considerations and I will certainly take on board what the Deputy said.

Defence Forces

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Ceist:

7. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Defence with regard to his July 2014 statement that the Defence Forces contribute to economic recovery and should not be seen purely as a cost to the State, and that the Defence Forces can be used for the development of new design and innovation, the way he is advancing this agenda; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6889/15]

Last July, the Minister made a very interesting statement and talked about the Defence Forces having the capacity to contribute to economic recovery. He spoke about the potential for their involvement in the development of new designs and innovation. That might have represented something of a new departure for the Minister for Defence. I compliment him on that. I understand he may have set up some sort of working group within the Department involving Enterprise Ireland and the Defence Forces to make progress on this idea. If so, could he tell us about it? Could he tell us about progress on the whole initiative?

I thank the Deputy for asking about this because it is an area in which I am really interested.

In July 2011, the Government approved an approach whereby Enterprise Ireland supports the defence organisation by raising awareness of and engaging with Irish-based enterprise and research institutes that are engaged in activities related to the Defence Forces’ capacity potential. The primary objective of this initiative is to support Defence Forces' capability development for crisis management through the application of new and innovative technology and research. The application of such technology and research in the defence domain also supports innovation, growth and jobs in Irish industry, particularly for companies and institutions operating in the security and defence — dual-use — sector. In addition, the Defence Forces' knowledge of the defence market and defence capability and technology development means they can bring valuable experience and knowledge to the attention of these companies and institutes.

Subject to the provisions of the Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions Act) 2010, the Defence Forces also participate in relevant capability development projects at European level under the umbrella of the European Defence Agency. Enterprise Ireland also supports Irish-based enterprise and research institutes in accessing research opportunities in the European Defence Agency.

Through the Irish Maritime Energy and Resource Cluster, which is a partnership of the Naval Service, University College Cork and Cork Institute of Technology, the Naval Service has been involved in various initiatives with Enterprise Ireland within its capability requirements sphere. In supporting the Defence Forces' capability and making a contribution to economic recovery, my Department will continue to provide assistance to Enterprise Ireland and companies supported by Enterprise Ireland in 2015. In addition, my Department will ensure all interested parties are kept abreast of European Defence Agency developments.

Multiple companies are working in partnership with the Defence Forces to test products. Let me give the Deputy some examples.

I will come back to the Minister on that because we are running behind schedule.

I am interested in hearing the examples because we want to know whether the initiative has been progressed and whether there are projects coming to fruition as a result of it. Nobody doubts the potential of the Defence Forces to contribute added value to business and the economy using its technical capability and proven field experience, particularly in the areas of technology and research outlined by the Minister. Could the Minister give us some sense of the particular projects that have been advanced? It would be useful.

Absolutely. I am referring to maritime surveillance, energy conservation, chemical, biological and radiological research, and improvised explosive devices detection. These initiatives have direct relevance to defence but can use the Defence Forces' infrastructure to test products that may well have relevance and an application outside the defence sphere. In Cork Harbour at present, a company has been developing a communications system based on wireless technology. It is providing high-speed broadband to ships entering the harbour that use the platform. The company has worked with the Naval Service to develop the technology.

We will see naval vessels testing kite technology to improve the capacity for surveillance by having cameras on kites to expand the horizon and, consequently, the surveillance radius. We may well see the testing of kite technology to power ships patrolling at slow speeds along the west coast.

These are the kinds of technologies that are being considered. Drone technology is being developed by the Irish Marine and Energy Research Cluster currently. This involves a partnership of University College Cork, Cork Institute of Technology, the Naval Service and approximately 28 companies, all of which are trying to develop new technology. In the Curragh, similar projects are being developed with the Army. There are exciting developments, and the partnership between the Defence Forces and private sector can produce some very exciting results.

What the Minister is saying is very positive. I tabled this question because I had concerns based on the soundings I made that process might have been taking precedence over progress in terms of the initiative the Minister has undertaken. He has gone some way to allay my fears in that respect. Can he confirm that there is a working group or standing group of some nature in place that is working assiduously on these matters? Could he clarify the make-up of that group, if it exists?

Most of the strategic thinking in this area is now happening in the context of the White Paper. I hope to bring a draft White Paper to the Government before we break up for the summer, if possible. I believe it is possible. One objective of the White Paper is to focus on how the Defence Forces can contribute to the innovation agenda in terms of developing new products and technology that can be applied not only within the Defence Forces to improve efficiency, safety and effectiveness but also outside the Defence Forces in terms products and innovations that have an application beyond defence. The Deputy will see quite a lot in the White Paper in that regard.

Easter Rising Commemorations

Terence Flanagan

Ceist:

8. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Defence the role the Defence Forces will play in the 1916 commemorations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6800/15]

Does the Minister have a plan of action for the role that the Defence Forces might play in next year's commemorations of 1916?

I discussed this issue with the Taoiseach and the Minister for the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht as recently as yesterday. Responsibility for the decade of centenaries programme rests with the Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys, but my Department and the Defence Forces will play a significant role in many of the events planned for 2016. Two existing annual 1916 commemoration events which have significant Department of Defence and Defence Forces involvement are the Easter Rising anniversary ceremony at the GPO on Easter Sunday and the annual 1916 commemoration ceremony at Arbour Hill.

Following the recent launch by the Taoiseach and the Minister of the programme of events for Easter 2016, discussions are now taking place with regard to the involvement of the Defence Forces in various events. It has already been decided that the ceremonial event at the GPO in 2016 will be followed by a march past involving significant military input. There will also be military participation in a wreath laying ceremony at Kilmainham Gaol. In addition, the Arbour Hill 1916 commemoration will be held on Sunday, 24 April 2016, the centenary of the Rising on Easter Monday 1916. The ceremony will take the form of a requiem mass in the Church of the Most Sacred Heart, Arbour Hill, Dublin 7, for those who died in the Easter Rising. This will be followed by a graveside ceremony, including inter-faith prayers. 

As part of the Government's centenary commemoration programme, the Department is cataloguing and partially digitising the military service pensions collection, which is in the custody of the military archives.  The collection contains nearly 300,000 files relating to the period from Easter week of 1916 through the War of Independence and Civil War to the 1 October 1924.  There were two releases of information to date and a further release is planned between now and Easter 2016. The Department is also building a new facility for the archives at Cathal Brugha Barracks to provide modern storage and reading facilities. We will also be involved in other events but I think I have given a flavour of our plans.

I thank the Minister for his response. We are all proud of the role our Defence Forces have played over the last 100 years. Given that 1916 was principally a military event, it is important that a balance is struck between celebrating the Rising and respecting the sensitivities of others. We do not want the commemorations to be hijacked. Has the Minister received any suggestions from the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association, RDFRA, and PDFORRA regarding the role they might play in this important anniversary?

I met the representative bodies in recent weeks, and this issue arose in the course of our discussions. Members of the Permanent and Reserve Defence Forces want to participate, and former members of the Defence Forces are also anxious to be involved. I assure the Deputy we will do what we can to ensure this is a year in which everybody in Ireland, including in particular those in the Defence Forces who commit their lives to the defence and security of the State, can participate in the commemorations.

I welcome that retired members of the Defence Forces will be involved in the anniversary events. Concerns have been expressed by some Defence Forces personnel that the military side might be toned down by the Government but we should not forget the military nature of 1916. When will the Minister be in a position to publish his plans for next year?

Many of the plans have already been finalised but there are still things we need to do. The Government is broadly ambitious in terms of what it wants to undertake regarding the commemorations. Some of this involves capital works in Dublin city centre and elsewhere, while others are ceremonial events. I hope everybody in this Hose will work together to ensure this is an appropriate commemoration for all those in this country, regardless of background, who want to commemorate an event with such significance for Irish history. I am confident that the Defence Forces will add to that in an appropriate manner.

UN Missions

Seán Crowe

Ceist:

9. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Defence if any members of the Defence Forces will take part in the investigation by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon into the recent death of a Spanish peacekeeper serving on the mission; and if the Defence Forces taking part in United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, will now review their security and their procedures mandate, following the recent death of this Spanish peacekeeper. [6877/15]

A Spanish peacekeeper with the UNIFIL mission in the Lebanon, Francisco Javier Soria Toledo, was killed recently. It is believed that he was killed by Israeli artillery fire and UNIFIL is currently carrying out an investigation. Are Irish personnel taking part in the investigation?

On 28 January 2015, a member of the Spanish armed forces who was serving in Sector East with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon was killed near Ghajar on the border with Israel. I understand that the precise cause of the peacekeeper’s death remains undetermined. UNIFIL has launched an investigation to determine the facts and circumstances of the incident. One Irish officer in UNIFIL headquarters is a member of the United Nations investigation team that is examining the incident.

Following news of the fatality, I extended my condolences to the Spanish Government, the Spanish armed forces and the family of the UN peacekeeper on his tragic loss of life. Irish personnel deployed with UNIFIL serve in Sector West and were not involved in the incident, although I understand they were only 20 km away. I have been assured that all necessary force protection measures are being implemented by the Defence Forces contingent in the UNIFIL and United Nation Disengagement Observer Force, UNDOF, missions in accordance with standard operating procedures. While I am fully aware that peacekeeping operations are not without risk, the safety of our troops is our priority. The Defence Forces continue to actively monitor developments in the region.

This was an incident in which rockets were fired into Israel from that part of southern Lebanon and there was a response from the Israeli side. Unfortunately, it appears that the Spanish peacekeeper was tragically killed as a result of that. However, we should wait to establish the full facts, which we will get once the investigation has been completed.

Does the Minister have any information on when the report is expected to be published? Is information on the exact locations of UNIFIL troops passed on to the Israeli army? The Israelis usually conduct their own investigations of these incidents.

Is the Minister aware of any follow-up or information in that regard? I noted earlier that the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade had visited the region, where I understand he met the UNIFIL force commander, Major General Luciano Portolano, and members of the joint Finnish-Irish battalion stationed there. He was also briefed on the security situation and the impact of the Syrian conflict. Will the Minister meet formally the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to discuss what is happening on the ground?

There are always conversations ongoing between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Defence on peacekeeping missions and the conditions under which we operate. I visited our troops with UNIFIL and UNDOF before Christmas and it was a fascinating experience. In the build-up to it, I am glad that we had seen a sustained and lengthy peaceful period in southern Lebanon, given its history. It is unfortunate that in recent months we have seen breaches of that calm. I cannot speak for the Israeli defence forces which will conduct their own internal investigation, but the Deputy should not forget that two Israeli soldiers were killed and five were injured in the rocket fire. That is not to justify anything; I am just giving the Deputy the facts. I expect the IDF to be very clear on the locations of UN sites which are visible from a distance, apart from anything else, as most of them are on hillsides. I do not know the exact circumstances surrounding how a Spanish soldier lost his life, but we will get the full details when the report is concluded. Obviously, we will be interested in it, as we have 199 soldiers with UNIFIL, our largest overseas contingent.

When the report is concluded, there should be an opportunity for the Dáil or the committee dealing with defence matters to look at and discuss it with the Minister. Circumstances in the region have changed for a number of reasons, one of which has been European Union member states taking sides in the conflict within Syria and supplying weaponry. That was a game changer. I am interested to hear from the Minister if there will be a discussion following this incident and if any report will be made available to the House.

The advice I have received is that there has not been a dramatic change of circumstances in southern Lebanon. There was a very significant and serious exchange between Hezbollah and the Israeli defence forces, but there has been no other incident since. My interest is in ensuing Irish troops are safe and that the UNIFIL mission generally is as safe as it can be and performs its role of maintaining relative stability and peace on the Israeli-Lebanese border. It has been very effective in doing this in the last couple of years. This was a significant breach which had tragic consequences for a Spanish soldier. We extend our condolences to his family and the Spanish armed forces. We should not necessarily infer from this, however, that there has been a dramatic change in southern Lebanon. I agree with the Deputy that what is happening in Syria spills over, has consequences and is incredibly complicated in terms of how we can or should respond from a peacekeeping point of view. We can only continue to observe developments and respond as best we can. That is exactly what we are doing.

Defence Forces Retirement Scheme

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

10. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the progress made in resolving issues arising from members of the Defence Forces who are due to retire, having completed their requisite number of years service but who are interested in continuing their service; if he has concluded his discussions in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6872/15]

I answered a related Priority Question earlier and said we had made significant progress on this issue. Since 12 or 15 February, we have the result of third party arbitration on a final recommendation to the Government on how to proceed. I cannot publish the arbitration report until it has been considered fully by my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in respect of any cost consequence of the recommendations. As soon as this has been done, we will make the recommendations known and decisions on the back of them. There are many Defence Forces personnel who have been awaiting the outcome of this process for some time. They can now be reassured that there will be a final decision probably in the next two to three weeks. It is not going to be an outcome with which everyone will be happy, but it is a compromise that has resulted from the conciliation process and, subsequently, a third party arbitration process. I hope PDFORRA will accept the final outcome. We will certainly use the arbitration process as the basis for a final agreement that can bring clarity for everybody waiting for a result.

I thank the Minister for his reply. In fact, I was present when he replied to my colleague, Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl, and, like him, I welcome what the Minister has hinted at. I hope the final resolution will go some way towards addressing the concerns expressed by several Members and PDFORRA, while keeping in mind the unique circumstances now prevailing which were not really applicable in the past. I thank the Minister for his attention to the detail.

The Deputy has raised the matter with me a number of times and I am very conscious of the fact that he represents a constituency that has a very strong Defence Forces interest. This has been one of the issues that has been ongoing for some time. We are very close to a conclusion and I hope people will be able to accept the final outcome when we publish it in a few weeks.

Written Answers follow Adjournment.
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