Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I remind the Deputy that the nature of these courses means that the individual members of the Defence Forces who participate in them will become our future trainers. They will have the necessary qualifications and skills which will be updated and upgraded to carry out future training in the very areas in which they will receive training on foot of this proposal. Apart from the benefit of their participating at this level and receiving training without the need for outside trainers to be formally brought in, it is also beneficial that they will become our trainers in future years. That is particularly advantageous.

I will respond to some of the Deputy's queries. Of course, very particular skills have been developed within the Defence Forces to neutralise IEDs. This goes back to the time of the Troubles when the Provisional IRA and others used such devices. They occasionally manufactured them on this side of the island to be taken to the other side. The use of these devices has now transferred to criminal gangs. I know from the justice side of my brief that these devices have been used in the gang warfare between members of differet drug gangs. Some of those who may previously have been engaged in terrorism on the island have facilitated the use of their skills to assist in the creation of these devices.

The Deputy asked about the number of engagements the Defence Forces have had in the last couple of years. I do not have an exact breakdown that shows how many cases were identified with criminal gangs not engaged in terrorism. There is an overlap between those engaged in terrorism and those engaged in criminality. I think the Deputy knows some of the groups I have in mind, but I do not intend to enter into that aspect of the matter at this forum. However, there is an overlap. This is a continuing cause of concern. These devices should not be created in this country by individuals engaged in criminal and terrorist activities. The lives of those who engage in criminal activities are put at risk when these devices are manufactured and used to target other members of the criminal and terrorist fraternity with whom they are at war. The lives of ordinary people who might be in the wrong location at the wrong moment are also placed at risk in such circumstances.

I was asked for the most recent statistics. I am told that, as of 11 March, the Army bomb disposal team has been called out on 27 occasions to date this year. Eleven IEDs were made safe during these call-outs. The figures cover just over two months of the year. During 2013 there were 250 call-outs or taskings during which 81 IEDs were made safe. Call-outs can be necessary when people are not certain about what is contained in a particular bundle. They might be concerned that it is an IED, but it might not turn out to be. There are also items that are discovered to be hoax bombs. One cannot take risks in such circumstances. Untrained individuals cannot be asked to deal with something that might turn out to be a hoax, but equally it might be real. This is a continuing and ongoing issue and it is important that we maintain our skills set at the highest level possible.