Seán Kyne
Ceist:6. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Defence if he will report on the progress of the recruitment campaign for the Defence Forces; and how he envisages this will impact their regional structures. [34384/15]
Other Questions
Defence Forces Records
This question relates to the recruitment campaign for the Army, which was launched on 4 August 2015. What progress is being made on it?
I am glad to say we are recruiting strongly, because recruitment is needed.
The Government is committed to maintaining the stabilised strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel, comprising 7,520 Army, 886 Air Corps and 1,094 Naval Service personnel, as stated in the 2015 White Paper on Defence. I am advised by the military authorities that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 31 August 2015, the latest date for which details are available, was 9,082 , comprising 7,337 Army, 726 Air Corps and 1,019 Naval Service personnel.
The manpower requirement of the Defence Forces is monitored on an ongoing basis in accordance with the operational requirements of each of the three services. Personnel are posted on the basis of operational needs across the organisation, both at home and abroad, and not on a regional basis. As there is a significant turnover of personnel in the Permanent Defence Force, targeted recruitment has been and is currently taking place so as to maintain the agreed strength levels.
A total of 157 personnel have been inducted into the Army to date in 2015 from the panels formed from the general service recruitment competition which was launched in March 2014. The induction of a further 80 recruits in the coming months will result in these panels being exhausted. A new general service recruitment campaign for the Army was launched on 4 August 2015. The induction of successful candidates from this competition is expected to commence in early 2016.
A recruitment competition for general service recruits for the Naval Service was launched on 6 March 2015. The selection process for this competition is progressing and 40 personnel have been recruited from the panel this month. It is planned that a further 40 will be recruited from the same panel in December 2015.
The intake of cadets into the Permanent Defence Force is normally carried out on an annual basis, taking into consideration the operational requirements of the Defence Forces and the resource envelope allocated to defence. Ten Air Corps cadets were inducted on 21 September 2015, 9 Naval Service cadets were inducted on 22 September 2015 and 30 Army cadets were inducted on 5 October 2015.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
Direct entry competitions are held as required from which specialist appointments are filled. To date this year, 19 instrumentalists and five engine room artificers have been inducted for the Defence Forces school of music and the Naval Service, respectively. It is expected that 25 Air Corps apprentice trainee technicians, a conductor for the Defence Forces school of music and a medical officer will be inducted by the end of 2015.
A Reserve Defence Force, RDF, competition was also launched in March 2014. Future recruitment into the RDF will be informed by Reserve strength figures. A total of 300 personnel, 279 male and 21 female, have been inducted into the Reserve Defence Force to date in 2015.
With the support of the Chief of Staff and within the resources available, it is intended to retain the capacity of the Defence Forces to operate effectively across all roles and to undertake the tasks laid down by the Government both at home and overseas.
I thank the Minister for his response.
I welcome the Government's commitment to maintaining a strong defence base of at least 9,500 personnel and also the recruitment campaign. It is good to hear the induction will take place in 2016 in respect of the Army recruits. Obviously, the Minister's predecessor reorganised the defence structures. A regional balance is important in terms of the allocation of personnel to the different barracks, with particular reference to Dún Ui Mhaoilíosa, Renmore, Army barracks. How is the recruitment progressing given that the campaign highlighted that there would be full equality irrespective of gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation?
Direct entry competitions are also being held as required from which specialist appointments are being filled. To date, this year 19 instrumentalists have been appointed and five engine room personnel have also been inducted. The Defence Forces school of music and Naval Service accommodated those respectively. It is expected that 25 Air Corps apprentice trainee technicians, a conductor for the Defence Forces school of music and a medial officer will be inducted by the end of this year. There is also a recruitment campaign for the Defence Force Reserve which needs to dramatically increase its numbers. Active recruitment is taking place to do that.
An important issue is to ensure we are an equal employer for everybody. Yesterday, I was in Galway for the PDFORRA conference. The new Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Mark Mellett, made it clear that a major priority for him is to ensure that in our recruitment campaigns we are equal employers regardless of sexual orientation, regardless of who one is or where one comes from, or whether one is male or female. We want an appropriate balance with the Defence Forces. The targeting within recruitment campaigns will try to reflect that.
Defence Forces Reserve
Seán Ó Fearghaíl
Ceist:7. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Defence his plans to expand the Army Reserve. [34447/15]
This question allows the Minister to expand on some of the views and policies he set out in the White Paper on the Army Reserve. He has indicated that he is embarking on a programme of recruitment but there is real concern about the declining membership and the declining level of participation and we would like to hear his plans.
I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to raise this issue because it is a matter on which we agree. There was a perception among some in the reserve that it would be phased out. I certainly hope the White Paper has put that fear to bed. There is a strong role for reservists in Ireland. The policy now is that they train as one entity with the Defence Forces and we want to build the strength of the reserve and ensure we get quality people.
The White Paper on Defence sets out a development path for the Reserve Defence Force, RDF, which builds upon recent initiatives. It sets out clear roles for the RDF which are to augment the Permanent Defence Force in crisis situations and to contribute to State ceremonial events.
The focus for the Reserve Defence Force will be on achieving a level of capability that can quickly and safely allow for the provision of aid to the civil power, ATCP, supports, aid to the civil authority, ATCA, supports, and barrack duty and associated supports. This will ensure that the RDF has the flexibility to augment the Permanent Defence Force in the event of a broad range of crisis situations. The development of higher levels of capability such as for conventional military operations in defence of the State will require an appropriate extended training lead time.
As the Deputy is aware, the Army Reserve, AR, and the Naval Service Reserve, NSR, are currently significantly under strength. As at the end of August 2015 the effective strength of the Army Reserve was 2,175 and this represents 56% of the establishment. The current establishment for the four Naval Service Reserve units is 200 and this will be expanded to 300, an increase of 25 for each unit. The effective strength of the Naval Service Reserve as at the end of August 2015 was 144 personnel, representing 48% of the revised planned establishment. As outlined in the White Paper, Reserve Defence Force organisational structures will be kept under review but there are no plans for further changes or expansion.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
The immediate challenge for both the AR and NSR is to recruit and train sufficient personnel to meet the respective establishments. A major recruitment campaign last year did not achieve the desired effect with the process yielding only 152 inductees. Following a review of last year's campaign, a number of changes were introduced. The most recent returns indicate that there have been 300 inductees to date and this is a welcome improvement on the mid-year position, which I reported on last week. The military authorities estimate that there will also be a further 100 inductees by year end. The Defence Forces will continue to strive to improve the level of RDF recruitment in 2016.
While recruitment is an immediate challenge, the retention of members is also a key requirement in order to meet strength targets. The implementation of measures set out in the White Paper will provide opportunities for certain members of the reserve to undertake duties. I believe that this will be a key motivating factor in encouraging more people to join the reserve as well as making it more attractive for current members to stay.
I am confident that the measures set out in the White Paper will, in due course, lead to a more vibrant RDF which will deliver enhanced military capabilities for the benefit of the State.
As we know, the RDF is a committed volunteer force that gives of its time in the service of the State and the vast proportion of that time is unpaid. We can look at international best practice and see that countries with a small military capability tend to have a very large part-time reserve to call on. That, unfortunately, is not the situation here. When I read the White Paper, I thought there appeared to be a strong commitment on the part of the Minister and the Department of Defence to the reserve. However, when I spoke to people who are actively involved, they were not reassured by the objectives set out in the White Paper. They have told me that there are practical continual difficulties, that recruitment is being made continually difficult and that the type of reserve the Minister and I speak about here is not being achieved because of the practical impediments on the ground.
The immediate challenge for both the Army Reserve and Naval Service Reserve is to recruit and train sufficient personnel to meet the respective establishments. A major recruitment campaign last year did not achieve the desired effect with the process yielding only 152 inductees. Following a review of last year's campaign, a number of changes have been introduced. The most recent returns indicate that there have been 300 inductees to date and this is a welcome improvement on the mid-year position. Progress is being made but it is slow and not as fast as I would wish. I want to send a clear signal that I want more people in the reserve. I want them to apply but they must be the right kind of people in terms of being fit for the job, both physically and mentally. We cannot allow everybody in. This is a serious commitment. It is one that many people will enjoy and get much from. I invite people to apply during the recruitment campaign that is under way. It will take time to build up the reserve but we will do it and are fully committed to it.
I accept the Minister's bona fide on this issue but the difficulty rests within the operational capacity of both groups, the Permanent Defence Force and the Reserve Defence Force. We have created a single force but there is not the type of happy relationship between the two groups that would be necessary and conducive to achieving the development to which the Minister has referred. One of the particular difficulties is that the old military cadre that existed to work with, assist, promote and develop the reserve no longer exists. I gave the Minister the example at the meeting on the Estimates a few weeks ago. I accept his point that we need people who are fit and able and capable of doing the particular job. I gave the example of 100 people who, apparently, had passed the various tests and fitness tests but whose applications to join were dependent on Garda approval and the 100 applications were left sitting on a desk and not sent to the Garda vetting unit until it was too late.
I am not sure about that. What I do know is that it is predicted there will be another 100 inductees by the end of the year, amounting to 400 this year which would be a significant improvement in terms of where we were but we have a long way to go. We approved the White Paper only a couple of months ago. That involves much positive change. In many ways we have a new chapter for the Defence Forces which will be very positive. Despite the fact that other parties want to reduce spending on defence, I am glad to say we will increase spending on defence to ensure our troops are safe and can do the peacekeeping jobs we ask them to do and that they have the right equipment to do that.
We will see growth in the Reserve and new and better equipment available for our Permanent Defence Forces. That is what I am trying to deliver, both through the White Paper and as a Minister. That will result in more people wanting to be part of the Reserve in the future. We will try to continue to adjust, assess and improve the recruitment process to make sure that happens.
Cyber Security Policy
Clare Daly
Ceist:8. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Defence the reason Defence Forces personnel were in contact with a controversial Italian surveillance company (details supplied); the extent of the contact; and by whom it was authorised. [34262/15]
This relates to the leaked documents that emerged over the summer about contact between the Defence Forces and the controversial Italian company Hacking Team, a well-known surveillance software company used by governments to tap into phones, computers and so on. What possible contracts did the Irish Defence Forces want to achieve from their dealings with Hacking Team, who was involved in negotiations, what were they looking for and how much was the Government going to spend?
The core role of the Defence Forces is to contribute to the security of the State. Military intelligence contributes assessments in respect of State security and the safety and security of Defence Forces personnel deployed overseas on peace support operations and liaises with An Garda Síochána as appropriate on matters of common concern. In relation to cyber-security, the primary focus of the Defence Forces is the protection of military networks. The Defence Forces are also assisting in the national response on cyber-security, working under the leadership of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
In order to deliver effectively on behalf of the State in this regard, the Defence Forces are required to develop and maintain the necessary capabilities. It is not appropriate, for operational security reasons, to divulge the details of how these capabilities are developed and maintained. I can confirm, however, that no services were purchased by the Defence Forces from the company in question.
The fact that nothing was purchased misses the key point. Why would the Irish Defence Forces deal with a company that has a very dubious international reputation? This company was named in 2012 by Reporters Without Borders as one of the corporate enemies of the Internet. It has been accused by the Citizen Lab, a digital rights group, of human rights abuses, of using and transferring software that was used to repress minority and dissident groups, journalists and so on in Africa and the Middle East. Their clients include European countries, the FBI, the US Drug Enforcement Agency, Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. These are the clients this company deals with. The Minister is telling us it was to do with developing and maintaining operational capabilities, but he is not giving us any details. No matter what the Government is buying, why it would go to a company like that is beyond me and the Minister could tell us more.
I am sure I could tell Deputy Daly more, but there are some things I do not tell her in respect of intelligence. Anybody who understands how intelligence works would understand that. We have not done business with this company. Despite what Deputy Daly is trying to portray, we are not doing business with this company. This company is, by the way, doing business all over the world, with many European and western countries, as well as some of the countries Deputy Daly has referred to. Presumably it is out there in the market, selling its services, its products and its technology. We have decided not to purchase from it. That decision was made by the Defence Forces. However, the responsibility of the intelligence element of defence is to make sure people like me and others who have to make decisions in respect of security questions are properly informed. That is as much as I am willing to say in terms of the broader responsibilities relating to intelligence. On the company concerned, we are not doing business with it.
The point is that the Minister was and he has brushed it off-----
No, we were not.
-----saying "we decided not to purchase in the end". The correspondence, which was leaked and which is not being disputed, referred to multiple contacts with this company and a number of meetings. Who was at those meetings? At what level were they? Even if the Minister cannot tell us specifically what the Defence Forces were looking to purchase, we are entitled to a little more detail than he has given us because it is a company about which serious concerns have been raised internationally. Warnings went out about the conduct of only five private sector companies and this happened to be one of them. I would like to know at what level inside the Defence Forces somebody thought it was a good idea for us to do business with them. I know the Minister cannot tell us everything and I am not sure whether he knows everything, but there is a contradiction between talking about transparency and so on and then seeking cover behind the old reliable, national security. We are entitled to more and the fact that nothing was bought is irrelevant.
It is not irrelevant. Deputy Daly keeps saying we are doing business with this company, but we are not.
There were no meetings, then.
There is an obligation on the Defence Forces to make sure they are aware of all the equipment that is out there and how it works and to ensure that we have the best technology available to do a job we need to do. They have an obligation to ensure we have an appropriate intelligence infrastructure in Ireland to give me and others the information that is needed to make informed decisions on sensitive and sometimes very confidential security matters. Most people understand that.
Defence Forces Deployment
Seán Crowe
Ceist:9. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Defence given the increase in violence and attacks in the Golan Heights area, if there are new measures or protocols in place to protect and safeguard Irish soldiers serving in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force mission. [34518/15]
We all know how turbulent, dangerous and unpredictable the Golan Heights are and collectively we share a deep and genuine concern for the Irish troops stationed in the area. The 48th Infantry Group has returned to Ireland safe and sound and has been replaced by the 50th Infantry Group. I would like to take the opportunity to welcome those troops home.
My question relates to any new measures or protocols in respect of the change in the circumstances on the ground. Are there any plans to reinforce the base's security area, equipment, support vehicles and weaponry given the changed circumstances in the Golan Heights?
A contingent of the Permanent Defence Forces has been deployed to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, UNDOF, on the Golan Heights since 2013. The current Irish contingent, the 50th Infantry Group, comprising 130 personnel, is based in UNDOF headquarters in Camp Ziouani. It operates in the role of a quick reaction force, which is on standby to assist with ongoing operations within the UNDOF area of responsibility. Eight other Defence Forces personnel are also deployed in UNDOF headquarters, including the Deputy Force Commander, Brigadier General Anthony Hanlon.
Following the significant events in August 2014 in the area of separation, there was a fundamental realignment of the UNDOF mission with a view to minimising unacceptable risks to peacekeepers, while continuing to implement the mission’s mandate where possible. Most UNDOF personnel, including the Irish contingent, are now deployed on the Israeli side of the area of separation. As such, they are not within the area of separation where significant fighting continues to take place.
The UNDOF mission has faced a challenging time, especially during the past year. The escalation of the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic has affected the mission’s area of operations. While the security situation in the UNDOF area of responsibility remains volatile and unpredictable, with ongoing fighting between different elements, I am advised that UNDOF has not detected any significant increase in violence or attacks on UN personnel or facilities.
Ongoing threat assessments are carried out in the mission area and personal equipment and force assets are continually reviewed to ensure that Defence Forces personnel are appropriately equipped to fulfil their role. In this regard, following a recent review of the locations occupied by personnel of the Irish contingent, a Defence Forces engineering team was deployed early last month to undertake additional protective works. The contingent also undertakes regular drills and exercises to ensure that all personnel are ready to respond rapidly to any deterioration of the security situation.
The reality is that no peacekeeping mission is without danger. I am satisfied, however, that all appropriate security measures are in place to ensure the safety of all Defence Forces personnel serving in the UNDOF mission. The presence of the UNDOF mission remains an important element in ensuring stability on the Golan Heights and in the Middle East region.
The reason for the question was to send a message to the families of soldiers who are gone over there that, with the changed circumstances, as the Minister's reply states, there is beefed-up security in the area. Rockets are still landing in the Golan Heights and Israel has made several incursions into Syria since the last war began. Our troops are on the front line of the most brutal and violent conflict in the world. Has there been any decision on whether this will be the last contingent sent on this mission or will there be more sent after the 50th Infantry Group completes its tour?
First, I would ask other parties to reflect when they call for a reduction in defence spending on the situation in which many of our troops find themselves in parts of the world and their requirement for the equipment and resources they need to ensure their safety. When I am making decisions to increase defence spending, people try to twist that into some kind of hawkish attitude towards defence on my part. The reason we are doing it is to ensure I can reassure families that have loved ones in places such as the Golan Heights, southern Lebanon, Mali and the Mediterranean that we have the best equipment and resources available to keep them safe.
I also have a responsibility to ensure we are constantly in conversation with the United Nations at headquarters level in New York to ensure there is an ongoing assessment of the UNDOF mission because it is constantly changing. Deputy Crowe is right to raise it. The civil war that is taking place in Syria is not only tragic for Syrians but also poses dangers to peacekeepers, but we have reconfigured this mission. At present, we have an engineering team to ensure all the resources and preparations are in place to ensure our soldiers are safe there. Within reason they are, but we need to keep a very close eye on it because what is happening on the Golan Heights is still quite unpredictable.
I welcome the reply that the Minister is continuing to review the circumstances on the ground. Ultimately, it is all about the safety of the troops. I would have been critical of the idea of sending them over because I believed the circumstances on the ground had changed. I am glad the previous contingent has come back safe. I wish the ones who are over there the same safety and I hope they all return safely.
That reflects the view of us all. Every time I speak to troops before they leave and speak to their families, I am conscious of that. I wish to reassure families who have sons and daughters and husbands and wives serving in the Golan Heights that we continue to focus on ensuring we are managing risk in an acceptable way. This is a very important mission for the United Nations and it relies heavily on Ireland's participation in it, but I do not make any decisions lightly in terms of putting our troops in harm's way. They are contributing to the creation of a sense of stability in a very volatile region. They are safe and we are managing risk as best we can. That would be reflected in the troops who came back on the previous occasion. I do not expect that the mission will change significantly in terms of going back into the area of separation any time soon. That is obviously the long-term objective but for the moment, staying on the Israeli side of the line of separation is the most prudent and safest thing to do, and that is why we have made the changes we have.
I am afraid our time has expired. I would reiterate that it is important we get to start on time. Unfortunately, that was beyond our control.
Written Answers follow Adjournment.