Seanad debates
Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Foreign Policy
10:30 am
Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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The Minister of State is decent and hardworking, and I regret he is here. This is nothing personal and I hope he accepts what I say as a professional observation. We have a Minister for Defence and a Minister of State with responsibility for EU Affairs and Defence. While I accept that the Minister for Defence is out of the country, it is outrageous that the Minister of State is not available. I understand the Minister of State has been told she has defence in her portfolio in name only, and she should not engage in any direct work in the area of defence. As far as I recall that is straight from the Taoiseach on the floor of the Dáil.
It is deeply concerning that members of the Department of Defence are signing memorandums of understanding with no uniformed military personnel present when they are signed. The Romanian side had uniformed personnel there. This cuts to the heart of the relationship that exists between the military and the Department of Defence. The Department of Defence is responsible for advising the Minister on policy matters. However, there is no statutory obligation on the Department to have any input from the Defence Forces when it comes to policy matters. It is more of a grace and favour relationship. They can come along if invited but should otherwise mind their own business and stay out of it. It is outrageous that we, Members of the Oireachtas, learned of this memorandum of understanding on Twitter and were not advised in advance. Things have moved on since I put in an FOI request and tabled this Commencement matter. Yesterday the foreign affairs and defence committee considered this matter and contacted the Department asking it to provide a copy of the memorandum of understanding to the defence committee. There is a serious problem, and I really am sorry because this is not the Minister of State's area of responsibility. He has enough on his plate besides coming up here listening to me but there is a serious issue with oversight of what goes on in this country at departmental level. It is outrageous that the Department of Defence would sign a memorandum of understanding on what we are told are defence matters without members of the Defence Forces being present. We are unsure what the memorandum of understanding was. It never came before the Oireachtas joint committee for scrutiny before it was signed. We have no idea what is involved in it, and I think the Minister of State will agree with me that he would want the Oireachtas joint committee to have oversight of anything that was going on in the defence or foreign affairs areas.
From that point of view I am sorry the Minister of State is in the chair today. I am sorry that events yesterday moved on beyond this question, and that the defence committee has expressed its concern and wants to see the memorandum of understanding. I trust the Minister of State accepts I did not want to waste his time this morning by addressing this issue after the decision was made yesterday. However, I think we have to put on the record of this House our displeasure at the fact that policy is being developed by people who are not military and have no defence background whatsoever. With all due respect to the Secretary General of the Department, who I am sure is an extremely able person, she does not have defence in her background. She is a banker by profession. Who should be providing defence policy other than people in defence? We have to look at a statutory obligation to have the Defence Forces involved in policy.I will leave it at that. I thank the Minister of State.
James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for raising this important matter around the issues with the protocols, terms and conditions of a memorandum of understanding signed between Ireland and Romania. I welcome the opportunity to contribute on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence. The memorandum of understanding between Ireland and Romania, which was signed in Bucharest two weeks ago on 8 April, is policy-focused and relates to bilateral defence co-operation between both defence Ministers. The memorandum of understanding demonstrates that both countries have an agreed framework of defence engagement for the future, which we can build upon, while agreeing to fully recognise and respect our country's individual defence arrangements.
As the Senator will be aware, the war in Ukraine has dramatically changed the security dynamic in Europe, with the past two years being very significant internationally and domestically. At home, such developments nationally and internationally have provoked something of a debate on Ireland's role in international security and defence. Security and defence issues are increasingly at the very top of the EU's political agenda. For these reasons, there is undoubtedly a very strong focus on the defence challenges facing Europe and the steps required to address these.
While defence remains a national competence, our policy of military neutrality does not remove us from the global security environment or mean that we should not work closely with our fellow EU member states to address these challenges. It is necessary that Ireland takes steps towards enhancing our defence engagement with our EU member states' colleagues, where appropriate. We should be willing to identify the potential benefits to Ireland of such bilateral engagement, in particular identifying opportunities for our Defence Forces.
Our willingness to engage in such bilateral strategic discussions led to the development of the memorandum of understanding with our Romanian colleagues by the Department of Defence, in conjunction with the Defence Forces. Our agreement is an example of a shared commitment as member states to developing a positive relationship long into the future, while fully recognising the different national characteristics of both, in terms of national defence policy, and caveat it accordingly.
This memorandum of understanding is focused on bilateral defence co-operation, where feasible, and is aimed at building linkages in sharing best practice, including the terms of peacekeeping deployments. The signing of the memorandum of understanding was an opportunity to reaffirm our broad bilateral relationship and our common security challenges and experience working alongside each other, including our personal participation in European Union, NATO and UN mandated peacekeeping operations and other multinational formations. With this framework in place, our future bilateral engagement with Romania will be through strategic dialogue discussions and military staff talks that will allow for the sharing of best practice.
There are numerous areas of engagement we could potentially cover and the memorandum of understanding includes broad language around co-operation on any number of themes, including pre-deployment, training for the UN-mandated international peacekeeping operations, communications and information systems and procurement, among other topics. I hear the Senator on the lack of the presidents of uniformed military at the signing and engagement with the Houses. I will bring those concerns to the attention of the Tánaiste.
Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming here this morning. It is not easy to come in and face somebody on questions in an area not designated as being within his area of responsibility. The concerns I have are not in any way alleviated by the document provided for the Minister of State by the Department. It is a matter that the defence committee will take up in the coming weeks. It is to be hoped we will get to where we should be.
The response from the Department clearly states that this happened in conjunction with the Defence Forces. The only member of the Defence Forces present at the signing of the memorandum of understanding was, I understand, a captain in civilian clothing. That does not give me great confidence. The statutory inclusion of the Defence Forces in all matters as we go forward is something we have to look at. Once again, I thank Minister of State for taking the time to come here today. It is important that somebody was here to answer the question.
James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I again thank the Senator for raising this important issue. I will bring his concerns to the attention of the Tánaiste.