19th March 2021The Secretary, Commission on the Defence Forcesinfo@codf.gov.ie Floor 1 West, Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, D02 WK12Re. Public Consultation: Commission on the Defence ForcesMadam/Sir,Thanks for the opportunity to contribute to the public consultation to the Commission on the Defence Forces. Our strengths as a neutral nation have served us well in our peacekeeping role abroad, and in humanitarian tasks in the Mediterranean and elsewhere. As Ireland renews its role on the United Nations Security Council, it can again assist in tackling global challenges as one of the few neutral countries in Western Europe. I note the roles of the Defence Forces, as set out in the 2015 White Paper on Defence, and I have structured my submission along the lines requested.

1. Capabilities

Since the White Paper on Defence was published in 2015 we have seen our nearest neighbour the United Kingdom leave the European Union; witnessed a growing understanding of the threats from climate change and infrastructural responses, undergone a severe global pandemic, observed cyberattacks from countries outside the European Union as our reliance on the digital economy increases, and seen rule of law undermined in some European Union Member States. In addition, the Irish State’s role in peacekeeping remains in South-eastern Europe, Africa and elsewhere.Clearly all of these concerns must inform any change in the Defence Forces capabilities as follows.

• Ireland’s marine territory extends far beyond our coastline and contains an area more than 10 times our land mass. Developments in harnessing our ocean wealth in fisheries and ocean energy may require additional resources to manage and control.

• Climate change has been linked to extreme weather events in recent years. Some of the significant military mobilisations over the last decade in the EU have related to tackling forest fires, extreme heat and flooding. Doubtless these will increase in the years to come.

• The COVID-19 Pandemic witnessed a strong and dedicated response from the Irish Defence Forces ranging from the preparation of dockside field hospitals to contact tracing and the distribution of medical supplies. Lessons must be learnt from this experience that can inform readiness for future challenges.

• The Irish economy’s dependence on digital infrastructure has increased dramatically in the last decade. From server farms to undersea cables we are exposed to new threats and challenges. There are concerns over attempts that may have occurred involving the hacking of such infrastructure such as undersea cables by foreign forces, and the unannounced incursion of defence aircraft and submarines into Irish waters and airspace. These concerns must inform our defence capabilities.

• Outside of the European Union the Irish Defence Forces have played an important and valuable role in peacekeeping in several countries, and given our status as a neutral country this should continue.

It is important that resources are matched to priorities. What is unclear from the supporting documentation from the review “Developments in key aspects of the Security Environment since the White Paper on Defence” is a sense of prioritisation and concomitant budgetary requirements. As a logical first step the review should prioritize all the various roles, threats and responsibilities, then outline the range of costs for an appropriate response. Without this crucial information we may end up partially funding limited response capability in non-core areas for the role of the defence forces in the 21st century.

2. Structures

Given that many of the threats faced by the Irish State are regional or global in scope it is important that the training and equipment of the Irish Defence Forces is fit for purpose, and allows them to cooperate with others in addressing peacekeeping challenges and the provision of humanitarian aid, and disaster relief. In line with the Irish’s State’s constitutional commitment to neutrality, the triple-lock must be respected in terms of any external deployment of the Irish Defence Forces.Any deployment of Irish Defence Forces must be subject to:-A UN Security Council resolution or UN General Assembly resolution;-A formal decision by the Irish government; and -Approval by a resolution of Dáil Éireann.

3. Staffing

Whichever roles and responsibilities we agree to support it is important that the Irish Defence Forces have state-of-the-art equipment and training that is suited to their role in a changing world. Concerns have been raised about the pay rates,capabilities, training and accommodation of the Irish Defence Forces and the leakage of highly trained personnel. It is crucial that pay and pensions are independently reviewed to ensure appropriate remuneration is provided. State of the art accommodation must be provided for army personnel. There may be scope for the consolidation of some Barracks in order to free up land for the provision of public housing in our cities, such as at Cathal Brugha Barracks in Rathmines or elsewhere.Traditionally the capabilities of the Irish Defence Forces have included significant battlefield training. The current skill-sets must be compared to similar countries, and stress-tested for preparedness for modern challenges, and changed, if necessary. Some modern challenges require enhanced digital skills, and advanced qualifications and this must be reflected in current training practices. Issues around bullying have featured in public discussion of the Irish Defence Forces. Training must ensure that appropriate training in tackling harassment and bullying is provided, and that appropriate practices are in place to address concerns that have been raised. There is a significant gender imbalance within the Irish Defence Forces. Stronger efforts must be made to increase diversity and better reflect modern Ireland. The Irish Defence Forces have played an honourable role over the history of the Irish State. They can address the complex demands of today’s world, but investment and new skills are required to maintain and build on their proud record of peacekeeping in an ever-changing global environment.Many thanks for the opportunity to take part in this consultation, and I wish you well in your deliberations.Sincerely,Ciarán CuffeMEP for DublinA link to this submission can be found here.