Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for facilitating me in this regard. At the outset, I wish to be associated with my colleagues in expressing my deepest sympathy to the families of Larry and Martina Hayes, and Lorna Carty. These are horrific and tragic losses of people who were on holiday. It shows the importance of security and protection in the current environment.

I welcome the opportunity to make a short contribution on the White Paper on defence. In any White Paper the use of precise language is important, as it provides the fundamental and serious intent of the proposals contained therein. I feel there are some signs of imprecision in the language used. The White Paper is an opportunity to develop new thinking on defence and security, rather than simply updating the White Paper of 2000.

In this context, the document should propose ways in which the sector can improve through co-ordination and better decision-making. Critically, it must propose legislative changes so that the policy is properly approved in the Dáil. The elimination of duplication of process in terms of analysis, research and functions within the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces should be a priority.

The term "defence organisation" is a loose term, as no such organisation has ever been established under statute. The Defence Act clearly outlines the responsibility of key actors to the defence council, but it does not refer to any defence organisation.

Organisations cannot simply be invented by public servants, they must be established through the Dáil. Documents, such as policy papers, White Papers and Green Papers, are subordinate to legislation that has been passed in the Dáil. These policy documents must at all times adhere to what has been legislated for through the Dáil in terms of defence and security.

The term "security of the State" is used in this context, for example, in the Telecommunications Act 1993. Any subordinate instructions, like policy papers or White Papers, are a drop-down from legislation. The same terminology that has been carefully crafted must be used, rather than introducing other terms that are meaningless in the legislation. National security is a term that is introduced in the draft White Paper, which omits the key word "State". The latter key word includes maritime area, air space and State forces deployed abroad. There is no reason not to use the language employed in the legislation so that the policy derives from a legitimate origin.

The White Paper is an opportunity to address the ambiguity around aid to the civil power. The proper term is "inter-agency support", which covers everything - civil authority, customs and excise, fire services, Revenue, the Department of Justice and Equality, An Garda Síochána, etc. Any relationship challenged between the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána stems partly because of this aid term and its ambiguity. The Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána are two security agencies of the State similar to customs and excise. These agencies work on inter-agency scenarios according to which, each agency provides a capability but retains command over such capability.

The White Paper is very weak in terms of the future role of the Reserve Defence Force. The RDF is an opportunity for society to remain connected to the Defence Forces and vice versa. Downgrading and diluting the RDF is bad policy. It is uncertain if that is the political intention but I do not think it is. There should be a recognition of the influence of the RDF within youth, society, training, linkage, presence, visibility and sport. The White Paper submission on the RDF should be examined to see if the draft White Paper fully interprets the place of the RDF in society and whether the White Paper will ultimately lead to the disappearance of this structure.

Unlike other elements of the public service, the Defence Forces do not have an occupational injury scheme. The current approach is adversarial. This is not conducive to an environment where the realities of military service increase the risk of such injuries. The White Paper should copperfasten such a scheme. Due to the nature of military service, no insurance company will provide cover for serving Defence Forces personnel. The proposed sick leave time does not adequately provide reasonable time in which a serving soldier can transition to a civilian occupation without compromising a personal or family home. Any HR review proposals arising from the White Paper must include consultation and negotiation with the two defence organisations, RACO and PDFORRA. The rights of both are legislatively based, so this requirement must be focused upon.

It would be remiss of me not to address the closure of Columb Barracks in Mullingar. That decision was foolhardy, disgraceful and had no economic basis. It was driven by a Minister who was subsumed with arrogance and who listened to nobody. I do not like saying "I told you so", but everything I said about it has proven to be true. However, if one is omnipotent, autocratic, knows everything and listens to nobody, one will make the wrong decisions. That is what happened in this case.

There is still time and, in fairness, the current Minister is a person who listens. I do not think the bureaucrats will listen. However, a politician's job is to make decisions and a civil servant's job is to implement decisions, not the other way around.

The reorganisation of the Army element of the Defence Forces in 2012 resulted in most elements of the RDF being twinned with a pairing regular army unit. While some independent reserve units remained, the majority were twinned with regular units. This places responsibility for the training and administrative oversight of the twinned reserve unit on the commanding officer of the regular Army unit. This integration leading to a greater ambition of inter-operability between the regular Defence Forces and the RDF is an attempt to import from other states a concept that has previously been tried and failed in Ireland.

The countries where this model works effectively are where there is a genuine state commitment to a reserve concept where its effectiveness is guaranteed by employment legislation, whereby continuation of civilian employment is mandatory on the employer when the reserve is mobilised for training or deployment. Mandatory attendance at training is also at the core of this concept. In Ireland there has never been, nor is there likely to be, such a twin legislative commitment.

Columb Barracks in Mullingar should be designated as a national headquarters of the Army reserve where all initial and continuing annual training of the reserve would take place. All specialist and integration training would take place in the twinned units. Independent reserve units would also do their annual training in Columb Barracks, Mullingar. This would give a critical and pivotal national role for the barracks, while establishing and maintaining its identity and ring-fenced purpose.

Designating Columb Barracks as a national centre for such annual training guarantees a continuing throughput of personnel, which in addition to its primary role guarantees its ongoing occupation, along with the sports bodies. There are 27 acres there with accommodation for 500 people, including new buildings. It is located at the heart of Ireland.

The number of reserve personnel to be rotated through Columb Barracks in annual tranches would number up to 5,000 with a downstream benefit to trades and businesses in Mullingar and its hinterland. A permanent cadre of staff of some 20 regular Army personnel would be required to oversee the barracks and administer troops and reservists under the regular training staff of the twinned units.

For many years, Columb Barracks was part of the Western Brigade where brigade troops concentrated before duty overseas for pre-deployment training and administration. With the reduction in the number of permanent occupied barracks due to closures in the past decade, the concentration of such troops for pre-deployment overseas is now an accommodation and administrative challenge for the reduced number of occupied barracks remaining.

It is overdue for the Defence Forces to designate a single barracks for all overseas pre-deployment concentrations. The Minister should examined this mater. Columb Barracks should be such a designated barracks as it has the accommodation and infrastructure to cater for this. In addition, it is ideally placed for the transportation of troops to depart, either from Baldonnel or Dublin airports.

The Defence Forces require a barracks within striking distance of the Border with Northern Ireland for concentrating on marshalling troops for Border operations, raising security or other operations. I travelled to all those places in 2001 when I was the Labour Party's spokesman on security matters. I saw gardaí, troops, customs officers and everybody else operating along with the Army.

Columb Barracks suits that role admirably. The gap along the Border between the permanent post at Finner Camp and Dundalk is unsustainably wide. In essence, Columb Barracks should have four distinct and overlapping roles. These include the headquarters barracks of the Army reserve and a designated barracks for all reserve units' annual training; the location of the directorate of Defence Forces training, which now incorporates oversight of the reserve; the designated barracks for the concentration of all Defence Forces units proceeding overseas for pre-deployment training and administration; and a staging and consultation barracks from which multi-purpose operations along the Border with Northern Ireland can be mounted.

All of these roles would not impede the continuing use of Columb Barracks by the Westmeath County Board, which must be complimented in this regard. I must say that the Minister is also very much to the forefront of that move. The Westmeath County Board is based there, along with other sporting organisations including the Lakeland Wheelers. It is also the headquarters for the UN Veterans and many other organisations. It would not impede them one whit, however, because there is adequate space there. This proposal is practical, necessary and deliverable in the interests of the State, the Defence Forces, and the RDF in particular, as well as Columb Barracks and Mullingar.

Its realisation will result in a significant morale boost to the town and its hinterland and will guarantee a continuous economic benefit to traders and businesses. Of course there will be resistance from the Department of Defence, elements of the Defence Forces and probably the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, but plenty of money is wasted and if they cannot find €1 million, I do not know what to say. Put this in place, Minister. Many people will attempt prevarication and will try to deflect the proposal by the formation of a study group which will have an indeterminate end and the inevitable negative outcome. I am sick of those things. This should be a done deal for immediate implementation. Minister, grasp the nettle and we will salute you.

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