Army to prepare for eventuality of 'dirty bomb' attack

Defence Forces' annual report 2003: The possibility of a "dirty bomb" being used to target Irish soldiers serving overseas is being taken seriously, and will influence the type of equipment purchased by the Defence Forces and training given to its members, the Chief of Staff, Lieut Gen Jim Sreenan, has said.

He added while the threat of a major terrorist strike in the Republic remained low, there was no room for complacency and, because of this, the Defence Forces was in the process of acquiring a large amount of respiratory equipment. This would be used by soldiers dealing with the immediate aftermath of a chemical, biological or nuclear attack.

"The biggest concern I would have at the moment is what we have seen in Madrid. Other European countries have tightened up their security, and we must be seen to tighten up also and to take measures so we're not being seen as a soft target," he said at the publication in Dublin yesterday of the Defence Forces annual report for 2003.

However, while the Defence Forces had a significant role to play in supporting the Garda in responding to terrorist threats, other agencies also had a role to play. These included the Criminal Assets Bureau, the Garda National Immigration Bureau and those gathering intelligence.

While he was satisfied Defence Forces personnel would have the ability to respond to any major incident on Irish soil, members of the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) would also be called upon in the event of a major incident. The restructured RDF would be geographically spread throughout the State along the lines of the FCA. However, some reservist units would be integrated into the permanent Defence Forces.

"The clothing, equipment and training standards of all elements will be raised, and it is intended that the reserve will be a significant resource to counter the threat of terrorism and to alleviate the possible consequences of a terrorist attack," he states in the annual report.

Lieut Gen Sreenan added that while numbers in Defence Forces were currently being reduced on a phased basis by 250 personnel to 10,500, he was satisfied the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps could deal with the current assessed terrorist risk. While the threat from indigenous terrorist groupings on the island of Ireland was now greatly reduced, the threat from international terrorists underlined the importance of the role played by the Defence Forces.

Reservists have been issued with new Steyr 5.56mm rifles, identical to those used by full-time soldiers, to ensure they can integrate into live operations carried out by their full-time colleagues.

They have also been issued with the same uniforms.

The reservists will undergo training in the use of new Vektor 60mm mortars, which have replaced older models. They are easier to transport, deploy and fire.

Meanwhile, the annual report reveals some 2,000 soldiers have been trained to cover for prison officers in the event of any strike by the officers who are currently embroiled in a protracted round of talks on pay and conditions at the Labour Relations Commission.

An Army spokesman said the soldiers had been trained at a number of barracks in restraint techniques and other logistical and administrative tasks.

He added that the training took place at the end of 2003, when the threat of a prison officer strike was at its greatest, but that the 2,000 soldiers were still available if needed.

Some 1,950 fishing vessels were boarded by Irish naval vessels on fishery patrols last year.

About 154 offences were detected, resulting in the detention of 35 vessels.