PRIORITY QUESTIONS.

Naval Service.

1. Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence the steps, if any, he has taken to deal with the staffing crisis in the Naval Service; the proposed crewing levels for the new ship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13142/99]

The new vessel is still under construction in the UK and is due for delivery at the end of September. The crewing level for the vessel has not yet been decided. In order to assess the crewing level required for the new vessel, full regard will be paid to and full advantage extracted from the new technology incorporated in the vessel, given what it offers in terms of automation and labour savings. This process of assessment can only be undertaken when the vessel has been delivered and the Naval Service has had an opportunity to train personnel in its operation.

The Defence Forces Review Implementation Plan provided for special studies on the Naval Service and Air Corps. Price Waterhouse has conducted those reviews and, in its report, recommended adjustment in personnel strength to a level of 1,144 in the case of the Naval Service. The Government, in line with recommendations from Price Waterhouse, has agreed in principle that the State's future sea and air support requirements be discharged by the Naval Service and the Air Corps, on the basis of an appropriate mix of multi-tasking-multi-capabilities and dedicated services and it is proposed that this approach will be taken into account in relation to the crewing of the new vessel.

Ms Fitzgerald: Does the Minister accept the Naval Service is very close to having to tie up a ship or else drastically reduce the profile and work of the other vessels? Does he accept crewing levels on the ships are low and that more than half the fleet is sailing without its full complement of watch-keepers, for example?

Mr. M. Smith: No, but first I would like to welcome the Deputy back from the Lebanon. I was delighted to hear the trip was a success. I hope we were able to facilitate the trip in a way the Deputy would have wished.

The debate on the crewing of the new ship is going on. Let me make it absolutely clear there is no question of tying up ships. We will take on board the views of the Naval Service and its requirements. We have agreed with the overall manning requirements of the Naval Services of 1,144, which emerged from the Price Waterhouse review. We will take in 65 people in this recruitment drive and a similar number in September-October. It is important to take into account that the new ship and its requirements are a matter for discussion. Needless to say, we will bring that to a happy resolution. I look forward to seeing eight ships on the water next January with a full complement of staff doing the work we need them to do.

Ms Fitzgerald: I thank the Minister for his kind words in relation to the Lebanon and for facilitating the trip. One certainly saw the professionalism of the Irish Army and the Defence Forces.

On the Naval Service, it is disturbing that the Minister does not accept that crewing levels on the ships are low and that some of the ships are sailing without the proper complement of watch-keeping officers, for example. If the Minister is to make progress on this matter, he will have to implement other measures. Has the Minister considered a scheme of rising through the ranks? What is stopping such a scheme from being developed? What about civilianisation in the Naval Service? Surely these proposals would help to deal with the shortages.

Mr. M. Smith: Since the start of 1998 the Naval Service has recruited, apart for the 74 recruits, four apprentices, nine watch-keeping officers, 12 cadets and three radio radar technicians. A second competition for 17 apprentices is now being completed. There are some stresses and the way in which the economy has developed has meant the numbers leaving the service have been greater than anyone would have wished. There are opportunities in the broader economy, which we are happy to report. We have to consider it as an opportunity and challenge which we must face down.

I am optimistic that the Price Waterhouse review and the numbers agreed by the Government are sufficient to do the job. We have to work within these constraints to ensure we make the best use of personnel. Everything possible is being done as regards recruitment. We have not had this scale of recruitment before, and we now have constant recruitment. The next tranche will be helpful and in the meantime, we will resolve the difficulties regarding manning. All over the world we have seen rationalisation proposals, adjustments, changes, new ships, automation and labour saving measures. I am confident we can resolve this issue on the basis of getting the best consensus possible.

Departmental Properties.

2. Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Defence the position in relation to the sale of the houses at Orchard Park, The Curragh, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13168/99]

Mr. M. Smith: Legal advice in the matter has recently been received from the Chief State Solicitor and is at present under consideration. It is intended that officials of my Department will meet with the residents of Orchard Park in the near future to discuss the proposed sales.

Mr. Ferris: I thank the Minister on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Wall. He wishes me to compliment the Minister on the efforts he has made to bring this project to fruition. I welcome the initiative he has announced that officials from his Department will meet the residents shortly. Will the Minister give a commitment to do everything in his power to resolve the legal obstacles which have been there for some time?

Mr. M. Smith: I expect we will be able to issue letters of offer to the residents within the next few weeks. The problem resided around the title, which was classified as a recorded monument under the National Monuments Act. One, therefore, does not have the same freedom in respect of freehold as one would have in other properties. We have been able to resolve that matter and I am anxious to proceed with the sale on the basis of the tenant purchase scheme and in consultation with Kildare County Council and the residents. We are very close to a resolution and I happy to see it develop in this way. I will facilitate any further elements because we need to clear the matter up. Ownership is something to which people in Ireland have a great attachment. I would like to see the area beautified and improved, with the residents and the councils improving the surrounding infrastructure.

Mr. M. Smith: All the discounts available in the tenant purchase scheme are available in this scheme as they are both similar.

Hearing Impairment Claims.

3. Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence when he will establish a compensation tribunal to deal with deafness claims in the Defence Forces; if he will cap awards; if he is appealing the Hanley judgment prior to the establishment of this tribunal; if he has the support of the representative associations in relation to his plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13143/99]

Mr. M. Smith: The State has now lodged a certificate of readiness with the Supreme Court in the Hanley appeal and I understand that it is likely to be heard sometime in the next term which commences 2 June 1999. Deputies will be aware that last February, I announced that I had directed officials of my Department to draft proposals for a hearing loss compensation scheme for serving and former military personnel. This work is in full progress and will obviously be influenced by the outcome of the Hanley appeal in the Supreme Court. This work includes consideration of the question as to whether there will be a requirement to introduce legislation.

The main issue in the State's appeal of the Hanley case is the issue of the scale of damages laid down by the High Court. If this tariff were to be reduced, I envisage that the majority of claims could transfer from the courts to the compensation scheme to which I have referred. In recommending a level of compensation in the scheme to the Government, I must be mindful of striking an equitable balance between the rights of claimants with genuine injuries and what can be afforded by the taxpayer while having regard to the view of the Supreme Court on these cases.

With regard to the representative associations, both RACO and PDFORRA have indicated their support for the principle of a compensation scheme designed to resolve this issue in a less costly and less adversarial way than through the courts. I stress, as I have on previous occasions, that I do not see the necessity for a tribunal with attendant delay and representation costs. Rather I intend to establish a compensation scheme which will provide for the speedy resolution of claims by reference to established and accepted criteria of assessment and compensation.

Ms Fitzgerald: At what rate are cases coming in? What progress has the Minister made on establishing the broad parameters of the compensation board? I am sure the Minister agrees there should not be any delay and that it should be resolved as quickly as possible.

Is the Minister confident he will have the support of the representative associations because it would be desirable to have their support when a compensation board is established? I understand the Minister is appealing the Hanley case and I welcome that.

Mr. M. Smith: It is desirable to establish this alternative system in an out of court environment as soon as possible. As we are now close to the Supreme Court hearing in the Hanley case, which would influence that decision, we will await that. However, if the Hanley case is delayed longer than I anticipate, I will look at introducing the scheme in advance. We are at an advanced stage at present. My proposals have been completed and we are submitting those to the Attorney General for his advice on some of the legal aspects and whether legislation will be required. The hope and expectation is that legislation will not be required, but we need to clarify that.

The representative associations have indicated strong support for this type of compensation scheme. I have no doubt that when we try to strike the right balance between the claimants with genuine injuries, what the taxpayer can afford and the High Court decisions, there will be a fair degree of consensus. We need to leave this tragic picture behind us as quickly as possible and move on to developmental and progressive areas. I appreciate the consensus and support in the House for moving in that direction.

Ms Fitzgerald: Perhaps the Minister could clarify the number of cases being received. Is it constitutionally acceptable to put a cap on compensation awards? Does the Minister intend to put a cap on such awards which could be given by the newly established board? Is he prepared to make a decision, ahead of the Hanley case, on the scale of compensation which is a balance between the green book and the implications of the Hanley case?

Mr. M. Smith: I am prepared to work along those lines. As regards the question as to whether one would be 100 per cent satisfied that the constitutional position would not be infringed when a cap is set, it is important to look at the history of these unique cases as they have developed. The level of damages has decreased from an average of £35,000 in 1996 to an average of £11,000 per case at present. I will be guided by the experience of the courts and by what is fair to all sides. This will cost money, which we can ill afford in many cases, but we need to get a resolution and to strike the right balance.

The number of cases being received has decreased from an average of 609 two years ago to a little less than 100 per month.

Military Waste.

4. Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Defence the amount of military waste dumped at sea by the Defence Forces; where this material has been dumped; if ongoing monitoring of this waste is carried out by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13164/99]

Mr. M. Smith: In the period from 1970 to 1994 approximately 1,360 tonnes of obsolete ammunition was disposed of at sea in the Beaufort Dyke and the North Atlantic. The material consisted of small arms ammunition, bombs, depth charges, fuses, primers, shells, grenades, pyrotechnics, etc. Under the Dumping at Sea Act, 1996, such dumping is no longer permitted. I am advised by the military authorities that their records relate only to the disposal of obsolete ammunition referred to above.

Under the Dumping at Sea Act, 1996, certain members of the Defence Forces serving on board Naval Service vessels are designated as authorised officers for the purposes of the Act. This enables them to take certain actions in relation to dumping at sea, including the monitoring of the effects of any such dumping.

Mr. Ferris: I welcome the fact this dumping has been discontinued. Does the Minister agree it was an extraordinary practice? Will he clarify if live ammunition is dumped and, if so, does he not consider that a risk to marine life and other forms of sea activity? I ask the Minister for an assurance that officers will be designated to monitor this practice.

Mr. M. Smith: I am advised by the military authorities that disposals by ordnance personnel of improvised explosive devices, including bulk explosives, is in accordance with the best international training and practices and is updated with advances in both technology and knowledge. The accepted and best method of disposing of home-made explosives, as found in north County Dublin, is by immersion and dissolution in water. On the basis of the information available to me, the risks to which the Deputy referred do not exist.

The practices have changed and we have advanced technology in recycling. We take the opportunity to export to Germany for recycling some of our remaining explosives. Technology is so advanced, we must manage it in the best environmental way possible.

Mr. Ferris: How often is a report received from the monitoring agencies?

Mr. M. Smith: I am not able to answer that question directly but I will communicate with the Deputy. The practice is no longer permissible under the Dumping at Sea Act, 1996. Designated officers in the Naval Service play this role. I will find out to what extent these reports are made available and publicise them if that is deemed to be necessary.

Mr. Ferris: I am concerned about particles of these dumped items being washed up on strands which could affect our tourism industry. That is why I want to know how often reports are received from the monitoring agencies.

Mr. M. Smith: I will communicate that information to the Deputy. We have had experience of strange objects on our shores. However, our investigations show there is no blame attaching to the Irish authorities. As the Deputy knows, the wind blows and the sea flows and we cannot control everything in the world. It is important to protect the sea water environment. There have been major advances in this regard and we are continually learning.

Overseas Missions.

5. Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence the number of Irish troops available for service under the UNSAS Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13144/99]

84. Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence the number of troops available for active service under the UNSAS standby arrangement; and the number delegated to different missions. [13359/99]

Mr. M. Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 84 together.

Ireland has committed a maximum of 850 military personnel for service with the United Nations at any one time under the United Nations Standby Arrangement System, known as UNSAS. There is, however, no obligation to participate in any particular mission and Dáil approval would be required for the dispatch of a contingent to any specific operation. The number of Defence Forces personnel currently deployed to different missions is in the form of a tabular statement, which I propose to circulate in the Official Report. It would be a matter for the Government and the Dáil, as appropriate, to decide on the deployment or redeployment as necessary of contingents of the Defence Forces to individual missions.

The following is the information:

Members of the Permanent Defence Force serving overseas at 18 May 1999

1. UN Missions

(i) UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) 613

(ii) UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation)

- Israel, Syria and Lebanon 11

(iii) UNFICYP (United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus) 20

(iv) UNIKOM (United Nations Iraq Kuwait Observer Mission) 5

(v) UNSMA (United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan) 1

(vi) MINURSO (United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara) 7

(vii) UNSCOM ( United Nations Special Commission - Iraq) 1

There is one officer on loan to the UNSCOM head office in the

UN Secretariat in New York.

(viii) United Nations Operations in the former Yugoslavia

(a) UNPREDEP (Mission Closed wef 28/2/99)

(b) UNMOP (United Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka) 1

(ix) Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina

(a) SFOR HQ Sarajevo 50

(b) Military Liaison Officer, Supreme Headquarters Allied

Powers Europe (SHAPE), Mons, Belgium 1

Total number of personnel serving with UN missions 710

2. UN HQ (New York)

There is one officer on secondment to the Department of Peacekeeping 1

Operations (DPKO)

3. EU Missions

European Community Monitor Mission (ECMM) to the former Yugoslavia 12

4. Organisation on Security and Co-operation

in Europe (OSCE)

(i) Military Observers (1 located in Georgia, 8 in Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2

in Albania) 11

(ii) Staff Officer, High Level Planning Group, Vienna 1

(iii) Staff Appointments, Croatia 5

(iv) Kosovo Verification Mission (KVM) 5*

*5 personnel evacuated to Macedonia on 20/3/99

4 officers at present in Macedonia, 1 officer has been deployed to Albania.

TOTAL OSCE 22

5. Military Advisers / Delegates

(i) Military Adviser, Permanent Mission to UNHQ, New York 1

(ii) Military Adviser, Irish Delegation to OSCE, Vienna 1

(iii) Military Delegate to Ireland's Observer Delegation

to WEU, Brussels 1

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEFENCE FORCES PERSONNEL SERVING OVERSEAS 748

Note: Four personnel have been seconded to GOAL and are based in Albania. Two personnel are on secondment to the Irish Refugee Agency in Macedonia.

Ms Fitzgerald: What number of troops would be available if, for example, a request was made for specialist personnel in Kosovo or for other humanitarian missions? The Italians have contributed much humanitarian aid and have recruited personnel from the fire, ambulance and police services. What resources are available at present and what training procedures have been put in place?

Mr. M. Smith: I am sure Deputy Fitzgerald would be interested in the earlier discussion on Partnership for Peace and the preparatory training work done in conjunction with other countries to ensure a faster reaction in terms of the deployment of forces which are suitably equipped to deal with any type of emergency which might arise. Later in the year we hope to go down that road. In the beginning we said we would be able to send a transport company and we envisaged about 100 personnel being available. When such a request is made we will come back to the Dáil for approval. We hope that request will be made as soon as possible. That would mean the beginnings of peace in that troubled area.

Since the Israeli elections we may begin to see the prospects for relieving some of the pressures on UNIFIL. That would change the picture dramatically over a period. One could not envisage that happening immediately. However, it means the figures I have given to Deputy Fitzgerald would change in time. We have a fully equipped transport company and 100 personnel ready to go.

Ms Fitzgerald: I welcome the fact that some preparatory work is being done. Is it feasible to add more specialists to the medical or engineering areas? There is a gap in what is happening in Kosovo. We are aware from international publications such as Jane's Defence Weekly that this is missing. Is there anything Ireland can do to contribute? Is training provided for the 100 personnel and is preparatory work being done? I welcome the continuous recruitment drive in which the Minister is involved. I know from my visit to the Lebanon that we will have to ensure a balance between new, inexperienced recruits and older, more experienced personnel on these missions. In that context the overseas duty allowance will be a factor.

In regard to the medical corps, we are already heavily stretched here but it is an important component in any contingent. Efforts last year to attract more people into the medical corps were not very successful. Another effort will be made this year and we may be able to help in the reorganisation process. The reorganisation process has helped in the training area. We now have more centralised training because of people moving from the barracks which have been closed. There is a better opportunity for more centralised training. While we have no great fears in that area, we cannot take anything for granted. My expectation is that we can do a great deal. We have had requests from GOAL, to which we have responded on two occasions. We have observers and helpers with the refugee agencies. Whenever we make a request to the chief of staff, within 24 hours he is in contact to say he has personnel ready to do the job. The position is fairly satisfactory within limits.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle: That concludes Priority Questions.