THERE IS NO point having new equipment if the Irish Defence Forces does not have the staff to operate it, the Minister for Defence has said. 

Tánaiste Simon Harris was speaking in Kerry this afternoon at the annual delegate conference of PDFORRA, the body which represents non-commissioned ranks of the Irish military.

He also said that there are a number of threats faced by the country, including the risk of hybrid attacks such as cyber incidents but said the issue needs to be addressed calmly.

Harris compared solving Ireland’s defence capability shortfall with the making a jigsaw and said that solving the exodus of people from the forces is as important as increasing the equipment capability of the army, navy and Air Corps. 

Speaking to The Journal in Kerry today he said that he has “a great sense of optimism” that the issues will be solved and that there are a lot of “encouraging signs”. 

“I’ve got to be really honest, though there’s and I hope it’s not a bad analogy, but it’s like the pieces of a jigsaw.

“Yes, we need to invest in our capabilities. I reference radar and there are many others – I use them as maybe the two most pressing but they’re one piece of the jigsaw and you can have all the equipment you want but you must have the men and women to operate the equipment. That’s another piece,” he said.

The Tánaiste said that there is also new legislation needed to fit the new, more modern, command structures. He explained also that the recommendations in the damning Commission on the Defence Forces is another piece of the puzzle. 

He also said that there is extensive work on getting the “culture right” in the organisation in the wake of reports of abuse in the ranks. 

“I chaired a meeting of our leadership forum yesterday, the senior management and leadership of the Defence Forces and the senior leadership in my department. 

“I really do feel now there’s this kind of a joint purpose, a common purpose, and that is giving me heart,” he added. 

Simon Harris speaking to delegates at PDFORRA's annual conference today. Neville Coughlan Neville Coughlan

Harris said that when it comes to threats faced by countries across Europe Ireland cannot be complacent. 

“I think sometimes we attach too great a sense to being militarily neutral in terms of our discourse as though that provides some sort of magic blanket or protection, which, of course, it doesn’t,” he said. 

He said that he is focused on increasing capability to monitor not just on the surface of the seas around Ireland but underneath also. He also said there is a critical need to focus on building capability to protect Irish skies also. 

The Tanaiste also said that there is a need to address hybrid attacks, such as cyber and sabotage incidents and he said that this is a key issue for all countries in Europe, not just Ireland. 

“Look, we need to be calm in relation to this. There isn’t a significant or specific threat in relation to our country, but we are obviously a location in a part of the world where I think many bad actors don’t necessarily differentiate from one country in that region to any other. And I think that, in and of itself, is a threat and challenge,” he added.