Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

I had no difficulty with the interview per se. The Deputy probably knows better than I that the Chief of Staff has a distinguished record and I would be sorry if any shadow was cast over it by the actions of someone who leaked a letter sent by me to the Chief of Staff. There is a steady stream of correspondence between a Minister for Defence and a Chief of Staff.

As in any democracy, Army officers in Ireland speak on operational matters in general and do not comment on policy matters. Policy is the remit of the Government, which is answerable to the Houses of the Oireachtas and the people. When a senior member of the Army is interviewed in the public domain, there is a possibility that today's clever media will drag him or her into saying something that should not be said, namely, something that casts a judgment on some aspect of Government policy. I am glad to say the Chief of Staff avoided that situation, but it was timely to write through him to the officers of the Army to remind them of the position in this regard. My letter contained no personal reference to the Chief of Staff. As the Deputy knows, if the Minister wants to communicate with Army officers, the proper way to do so is to send a letter to the Chief of Staff and ask him or her to circulate it. We have a responsibility to ensure that the situation obtaining since the foundation of the State is adhered to. Basically, I asked anyone who speaks in the public domain to stick to operational matters rather than policy.

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