Speech by Mr. Michael Smith, T.D., Minister for Defence,
at the Cadet Commissioning Ceremony for the 77th Cadet Class
Curragh Camp 1 July 2002
I am delighted to be in the Curragh today officiating at what is one of the most important and happiest occasions in the Defence Forces' calendar. I want to begin by offering my congratulations to the twenty six young men and women who have just received their commissions. Today is a very special day for them and their families. The Commissions being handed over have been signed by the President, by the Taoiseach and by myself as the Minister for Defence. The 77th Cadet Class commenced their training twenty one months ago at the Cadet School and have undergone a tough and comprehensive course of training. Two of the class will take up appointments in the Equitation School in McKee Barracks in Dublin and the remaining twenty four will take up their duties with Army Units countrywide. The Cadet Course is very demanding. Cadets had to demonstrate initiative and leadership as well as a high standard of physical fitness. The successful completion of the course of instruction represents a major personal achievement for each individual member of the class. They are now highly trained, multi-skilled young officers and they are ready to play their part in the leadership of the new, revitalised Defence Forces. These young officers are now part of an organisation which has come through major change and which is now seeing the benefits of continuous recruitment and significant investment. Improvements are taking place in accommodation and equipment and these will continue as long as it is necessary to ensure that the best facilities are available for all personnel. One only has to take a look around the Curragh to see the level of investment that is taking place. Since 1999, under the Barracks Reinvestment Programme, ten major construction projects have been completed here at a cost of more than €37 million. In addition the construction of the Combined Vehicle Workshops, at more than €9 million, will be completed next year. Earlier this year the final delivery of 40 new armoured personnel carriers took place and five of them have been put through their paces by Irish peacekeepers in Eritrea for the past seven months. New Naval Service ships came into service in 1999 and 2000 and are important assets in protecting our waters. Tender competitions are ongoing for other major acquisitions for the Air Corps and the Army. The benefits of this investment have touched every aspect of military life, including investment in individual soldiers. During the course of your continued training, you will benefit from the opportunities for third level studies which are in keeping with best international practice for officer development. The blending of the military and academic disciplines is considered the best preparation for officers for the complex and varied tasks which will be required at home and abroad. Newly commissioned officers of the Defence Forces, their families and friends will be among those who are most acutely aware of the proud tradition which the Defence Forces have accumulated through successful participation on United Nations humanitarian and peacekeeping missions. At present, a considerable representation from the Defence Forces, numbering some 510 men and women, are serving overseas in diverse locations around the world from Eritrea to Kosovo to Bosnia to East Timor and the Middle East. Members of the Defence Forces, both individually and collectively have been at the forefront in representing the fundamental values of Ireland's foreign policy in those areas of the world which have suffered from the traumas of conflict and strife. In Lebanon, for example, the Defence Forces gave assistance, such as support for a local orphanage and the provision of medical clinics, which greatly improved the quality of life of the local community. Other humanitarian assistance has included the evacuation of and shelter for people during hostilities and assistance with saving harvests etc. It is the Governments firm intention that the Defence Forces will continue to maintain their tradition of service on United Nations authorised peace support missions. It is a lesson of the appalling events in the Balkans that we need to be able to move quickly and effectively in response to humanitarian crises. In its emphasis on cooperation, and not on confrontation, the new patterns of security cooperation reflect values which have always been at the heart of Irish foreign policy. Ireland's participation in SFOR in Bosnia-Herzegovina and in KFOR in Kosovo is a clear example of this development. The Government remains firmly committed to Irish military neutrality. Ireland's involvement in the European Security and Defence Policy and Partnership for Peace (PfP) is fully consistent with our policy in this area. It will ensure that the Defence Forces will maintain and enhance a proud Irish tradition of contributing to international peace and stability. I believe that the development by the European Union of a capability to carry out humanitarian or peacekeeping missions under the auspices of the United Nations is totally in accordance with the inherent values of Irish foreign policy and which has the support of the Irish people. Unfortunately, Ireland's participation with the European Union in this area has been the source of both confusion and criticism, and the Government has listened to the genuine concerns that this process has been regarded by some as an erosion of our position of neutrality. This is not the case, and in order to allay these concerns, the Government has sought, through the declarations included in the conclusions of the recent Seville EU Council, to remove any misunderstanding with regard to our position of military neutrality. The declarations confirm that there is nothing in the EU Treaties, or indeed in the Treaty of Nice, which threatens our military neutrality, and this has been now been formally recognised at political level by all of the leaders of our EU partner countries. Neither should there be any concern regarding our sovereignty when it comes to the question of participating in any particular operation. Irish troops will only take part where the so called "triple lock" is in place: that is, a specific Government decision, Dáil approval and UN authorisation. While the recent debate which has been taking place on the issue of our neutrality has been welcome and interesting, I do hope that the issue does not detract either from the good work the Defence Forces are contributing at international level or from the more fundamental issues which are at stake in relation to the Government's wish to see the Nice Treaty ratified. The economic benefits to Ireland of the enlargement process - with the inclusion of up to ten new countries in the EU "family" is the core issue at stake in relation to the Nice Treaty. I look forward to an engaging debate on the enlargement of the Union in advance of the referendum which will take place in October next. Looking forward also to the years ahead, I know that the young cadets here today will take their turn representing Ireland in United Nations missions working in the cause of peace. I have every confidence that they will continue the outstanding tradition in the Defence Forces. As I have said, this is an important day in the lives of these young officers here before us today. It is a day when they and their families are entitled to feel justly proud. They have chosen a very challenging and rewarding career and I hope you all enjoy the many positive and enjoyable aspects of military life. Congratulations and well done to everybody. Before concluding I would like to thank the Commandant of the Military College, Colonel Michael Lucey, and the Officers and NCO's of the Cadet School. The staff of the school are entrusted with the future of the Defence Forces and the commitment and the dedication which they bring to their work is reflected in the exemplary standard of the junior leaders produced by the school. I would also like to thank everyone connected with the organisation behind this afternoon's ceremony and to thank the Band of the Southern Brigade, under the baton of Captain Liam Daly, for providing the excellent music which greatly enhanced the Commissioning Ceremony.
Thank you.
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