Defence paper `fantasy' criticised by ex-captain

A former Naval Service commander has described the draft White Paper on Defence as "an exercise in virtual reality".

Capt. Peadar McElhinney, former second-in-command of the Naval Service, yesterday said the advice of State-funded consultants and military professionals had been overlooked.

The case for greater resources to combat drug-smuggling, patrol Europe's second-largest fishery area and provide search-and-rescue and environmental protection had been argued most recently by PriceWaterhouse, the consultants hired by the Government, he said.

"The Government accepted these findings in principle. When a decision on the PriceWaterhouse report was deferred, it was because the Government said it was formulating defence policy. But this draft is not policy, it is fantasy," he said.

The draft did not take into account the obligations of a sovereign island state, in terms of national law and international obligations under the Hague Convention, Capt. McElhinney said. A drug-smuggler was 20 times less likely to be detained in Irish waters, due to the lack of patrolling resources, he said.

The need for fishery protection was proved by the fact that the European Union funded capital costs of new ships, Capt. McElhinney said. The Naval Service had made the case for 12 ships, and four auxiliaries, which would guarantee six ships at sea at any one time.

PriceWaterhouse recommended devolved authority to the Naval Service and Air Corps, and independent budgetary control, but this had also been ignored, Capt. McElhinney said.

The Nautical Institute, representing mercantile and naval officers, this week described the draft as "inaccurate" and called on the Minister for Defence to justify his "apparent proposal to surrender ownership" of Ireland's maritime territory.

Addressing a review of troops at McKee barracks, Dublin, the Minister, Mr Smith, said: "I have every confidence that the Defence Forces will rise to the challenge of completing the necessary reform process outlined in the White Paper. The Government, and I as Minister, are fully committed to developing the Defence Forces as a world-class military organisation."

"The White Paper proposals will mean that an additional £300 million will be invested over the next 10 years on new equipment and infrastructure."