Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)

Deputies will be aware that members of the Defence Forces and the Garda Síochána are frequently involved in capacity-building exercises in support of Governments in several countries. Heretofore, their work in this regard has been done with the approval of the military authorities. With regard to exercises involving more than 12 personnel, the approval of the United Nations and Dáil Éireann is required. The activities carried out in support of the training of personnel on behalf of the Government of the Seychelles did not come under the ambit of the system to which I refer. I understand the military authorities formed the view that, in this instance, the activities to which I refer appear to have been entirely positive in nature. All available evidence certainly points to this being the case. Nevertheless, it was decided that the regulations should be amended to ensure that regardless of how positive in nature they might be, activities of the kind which occurred in this instance would not be undertaken by serving members of the PDF who would be obliged to use the skills they acquired during their training as military personnel.

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