Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I thank Senator Donohoe for apparently giving way, probably operating on the age principle. From his attendance at debates in the Seanad the Minister will notice that interesting little nuggets of information often emerge. I was interested to learn that my colleague, Senator McFadden, has sergeant-major blood in her. An immediate word of warning will need to be issued to Deputy Bannon in case of there being a skirmish at the bridge of Athlone.

Fine Gael welcomes the legislation which provides clarification. If this legislation had been passed in advance of the Lisbon treaty referendum, many of the irrelevant debates and spurious arguments from the "No" campaigners would have been unnecessary. In a sense this legislation might be a tidying-up operation, but it allows us the opportunity to say a few words on our views of the Army, where it stands internationally and what its role should be. There have been some interesting observations on our neutrality. I listened with great interest to Senator O'Toole in outlining his difficulty, which I believe we would all share, in trying to classify neutrality. We can wrap the word around ourselves like a shroud from time to time. It becomes one of these Irish phrases that can mean what one wants it to mean. In today's complicated modern world where Ireland plays a major role in Europe and Europe plays a major role in the politics and economics of the world, we should have a debate in the future about what neutrality means particularly for the Defence Forces.

The Defence Forces, of which we can be very proud, play a major role in the peacekeeping forces of the United Nations worldwide. This legislation will allow them to continue to do so. We need to clarify the grey area between peacekeeping and peace enforcement. Senator McFadden spoke about Army equipment. At a time when the economy is in a significant state of distress we need to be careful that our Army personnel and particularly those going overseas are not only trained to the highest standards as they have always been, but also enjoy the finest standard of equipment. While I know the Minister has spoken about this matter previously, it is important to put the equipping of the Army to the fore of the debate. We need to ensure it has the highest standard of not just military equipment, but also safety equipment. In that regard it has been interesting to watch certain channels covering other armies in other wars. Some of the armies at present engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan appear to suffer from the disadvantage of having inadequate equipment and most importantly inadequate safety equipment. We need to try to ensure that the Irish Army when engaged on peacekeeping missions does not suffer in that regard.

Regarding the state of the economy, one of the traditions in this State was that in many towns, including Fermoy, Athlone and Longford, the Army was seen as a significant local employer and generator of economic activity. As a result of the refocusing of Defence Forces policy in recent years, their personnel numbers have been reduced. I hope the Minister would still have the capacity to expand in so far as is possible the prospect of people again having a career in the Army, with young people of 17 and 18 having the chance to enlist, perhaps not for a lifetime, but at least for a short period of their lives. It would allow them to develop new skills, a sense of discipline and a sense of community. The phrase "national service" tends to frighten people and is perhaps a concept that we have moved beyond. However, the Army and its structures can play a significant role in terms of community service. At a time when 400,000 to 500,000 are unemployed, there are tens of thousands of people who would like to play a proactive role in the life of their community. I am not suggesting we should have men and women marching up and down the streets of every town and village claiming to be community activists. Such activity is generally aligned to a particular political grouping. However, there is scope for the Army to engage in community work in towns and villages throughout the State. Will the Minister consider how the Army can play a role in that regard?

I welcome the Bill, which underpins the ability of the Defence Forces to continue to play a significant role in international peacekeeping. Our amendment No. 1 relates to the role of the Seanad in respect of the triple lock mechanism. The Minister has written recently about the role of this House.