When the Defence (Amendment) Bill, 1960, was before the Seanad some months ago, I mentioned that permanent legislation to authorise the sending of contingents of Irish troops to participate in police actions under the auspices of the United Nations had been under consideration by the Government for some time and that proposals for that legislation would be submitted to the Oireachtas before the expiration of the six months' period mentioned in the temporary measure.
This Bill is intended to provide in permanent form a legislative basis for such action in future. Senators will note that before any action may be taken under it in any specific instance, the approval of the Dáil must be secured. Ireland, as a member of the United Nations, is committed, both by our signature to the United Nations Charter and by our general policy of supporting action by it in all circumstances where international peace appears to be threatened, to help it, when called upon, within the limits of our resources.
I think it is hardly necessary to restate Government policy in that regard. The Government's view, which is indeed shared by all the main political Parties in the State, is that it is in the interests of this country and of the world to encourage the growth of the United Nations authority and influence and the establishment of the rule of law in international relations.
We accept that the United Nations have the right and the function to act in any situation in any part of the world which may endanger peace and that we should be prepared to contribute to the fulfilment of these responsibilities by the United Nations. The immediate occasion of this Bill is the situation in the Congo where an Irish contingent at present is part of a United Nations police force, to which indeed we have been asked to send a further contingent when the two battalions already there are brought home next month.
The situation in the Congo has not been resolved during the six months which have elapsed since we authorised, by legislation, the sending of that Irish contingent and during which the United Nations have been involved in this police action there. Indeed, it has in many ways deteriorated. While there has been a reduction in the incidence of violence and loss of life, nevertheless it is clear that the federal Government of the Congo has since fallen into a state of confusion and ineffectiveness with rival claimants to the right to exercise authority there and the ever-present threat of civil war.
As I said in the Dáil during discussions on this Bill nobody doubts that the situation in the Congo would by now have been completely chaotic but for the United Nations presence and that a situation could well have developed which would have involved the great powers with all the inherent threat to the general peace if the United Nations had not intervened in the Congo when its Government so requested in July last. During the course of the debate on this Bill in the Dáil, and on other occasions, I have refused to comment on the present internal Congo situation both because of our acceptance of the official United Nations position in that regard and also, and perhaps, mainly, because of belief that if by making statements here the Government should appear to be taking sides between the political factions in the Congo it might very well increase the hazards which Irish troops there have to face.
The United Nations position is that the force is there solely to keep order and protect lives, that it operates for these purposes independently of any national authority and that it has no function of any kind in the resolution of internal political conflicts, constitution or otherwise. Senators may, however, be aware that a delegation from a United Nations Conciliation Committee has proceeded to the Congo and is endeavouring to bring about a situation in which the internal political conflicts will in some way be resolved. That, however, is a completely separate exercise and it is not contemplated that the United Nations force at present in the Congo will be used to enforce any political settlement. It is also true that United Nations personnel are endeavouring to ensure the restoration and operation of the normal machinery of civil administration, including health and similar services. Again their activities are distinct and separate from the responsibilities and functions of the United Nations peace force. In agreeing with the request from the United Nations to send a contingent to the Congo, we had no purpose in mind except to help a newly founded State, which was in grave difficulties, to get itself organised and into a position in which it could undertake for itself the basic operations of any Government, to keep law and order, to prevent the Congo situation deteriorating to an extent which might gravely prejudice the prospects of other new independent African States or those who are expecting or hoping to achieve independence in the near future, and to obviate the prospects of great powers intervening, either directly or in support of contending Congolese factions, which could very well endanger the peace of the whole world. We have no enemies in the Congo; we have no motives direct or indirect which could possibly raise doubts in any Congolese mind as to the bona fides of our intentions. There are many States including some African and Asian States which sent contingents to the Congo in the same situation as ours, but it seems to be established that the continued presence of non-African contingents in the Congo force is necessary to demonstrate its United Nations character and to emphasise that its function is limited in the manner I have stated, and that it is not involved and it does not intend to become involved in imposing any solution of political problems there.
We can hope that, through the efforts of the United Nations Conciliation Committee or otherwise, there will emerge in the Congo an accepted and representative government which can at some early time take over the functions which the United Nations forces are now performing and so permit of their complete withdrawal, in that a stable functioning Congo Government will emerge to develop their state and promote the welfare of their people and to which there can be given, through the United Nations, the aids, financial, material and moral, from the many countries willing to help in that way.
Whilst this Bill is, as I have said, a permanent measure which would be proposed by the Government to the Oireachtas, if the Congo situation had never arisen, that situation is very relevant to it. Indeed, it is well the Oireachtas should understand that it is not intended to be a mere gesture of goodwill to the United Nations but represents the acceptance by us of a very real commitment which may require action by the Government from time to time, in relation to our obligations to the United Nations and indicates our willingness to take action in accordance with these obligations when we may be so requested and our resources so permit. The Government recommend this Bill to the Seanad.