Defence Forces head apologises to Minister

CONOR LALLY

DEFENCE FORCES chief of staff Lieut Gen Dermot Earley has apologised to the Minister for Defence, Willie O'Dea, for putting him in a "difficult position" after it was discovered two helicopters hired for €2.4 million in Chad to carry Irish troops were not certified to ferry personnel.

In a report on the matter for Mr O'Dea, Lieu Gen Earley cited "miscommunication in the military chain of command" and an "excess of zeal" to procure the helicopters as the reasons for the embarrassing mix-up.

He said the need to get air transport in place before the onset of the rainy season in Chad had added to the haste.

"The control measures then in place were not successful," Lieu Gen Earley writes of the procurement process in his report, which has been seen by The Irish Times .

"The signing of the contract was not handled well. Lessons have been learned. I wish to acknowledge that you [Mr O'Dea] were put in a difficult position for which I apologise."

In his report Lieu Gen Earley said he had made it clear no contract should be signed for the helicopters without his final approval and without liaison with the Department of Defence.

Despite this, the contract was signed in May "without my knowledge and without sufficient liaison with contracts branch Department of Defence".