The world is now experiencing an increasingly unpredictable and unstable security environment. Ireland must respond to this, Simon Coveney, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defence has said.
However, Coveney warned against a knee-jerk reaction in the States to the war on Ukraine in terms of its defense and security provision.
On Tuesday, the Minister spoke to the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence. It was discussing legislation to allow Military Police members to take and use DNA samples in order to investigate crimes against the Defence Forces.
The Defence Forces (Evidence) Bill 2019. Also, a DNA (Military Police) Database System will be established by Forensic science Ireland. It will contain DNA profiles generated from samples.
Mr. Coveney responded to questions from Sinn FinTD John Brady and said he wanted a paper to the Government as a response to the Commission on the Defence Forces (June).
The final report of the commission was published earlier in the year. It found that the current Defence Forces capability would leave the country without a credible military ability to protect Ireland.
Mr. Coveney said that the context within which the commissions report was being analyzed had changed in relation the war in Ukraine.
He stated that every country within the European Union is currently examining security and defence issues again.
Although I don’t believe we should react in that way, I think we are living in an unstable and more unpredictable security environment worldwide. I believe we must respond to this.
Mr Coveney stated that the vast majority of commissions’ recommendations would be expensive and that party leaders and Ministers of Government had to be consulted in order to ensure that the ideas I bring to the Government are supported.
He said that there will be a lot to do on this over the next six to 8 weeks before we actually present a report to Government.
He said that the report would be discussed in the Dil and Seanad and that it would be brought before Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence.
Mr. Coveney claimed that successive governments have underinvested in the defense infrastructure in Ireland for decades, dating back to 1970s.
That has to be fixed. We cant do it overnight. He said that even if we could do this financially overnight, the Defence Forces would not be able to respond in one to two years to a dramatic increase of financial resourcing.
He expressed his excitement about the 2019 Defence Forces (Evidence) Bill and said that he hoped to see this legislation become law before the summer recess.
Mr Coveney stated that he believes no political party has an issue with the legislation and added: It is about ensuring there are appropriate mechanisms for investigating crimes within the military system.
