A rift has developed between Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea and Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieut Gen Jim Sreenan after the general commented publicly about national and international defence policy, writes Conor Lally, Crime Correspondent
Mr O'Dea sent a strongly-worded letter to Lieut Gen Sreenan last month reminding him that any public comment on national, international or political issues represented a breach of Defence Forces rules.
"On matters of policy," he wrote, "there can and must be only one position defined either by Government, by me as Minister for Defence (or through my officials). No official spokesman can have any legitimate role beyond the articulation of this position."
Informed sources said Mr O'Dea's letter was in response to an interview Lieut Gen Sreenan gave to The Irish Timesin December.
In the interview he said Defence Forces overseas missions would become more "complex and robust". He also described as "misleading" the use of the terms "peace keeping" or "peace enforcement" to describe the nature of the Defence Forces' work overseas and said that Irish troops were now playing a vital "crisis management" role.
When asked if Irish troops could be deployed as part of a future UN mission in Darfur, he said: "From a military operational point of view I don't have a difficulty with that."
He also rejected suggestions that increased Irish military participation overseas compromised the Republic's neutrality. "With military force you can develop security."
In a veiled rebuke of Lieut Gen Sreenan's decision not to seek ministerial consent for the interview, Mr O'Dea told him: "Where there is any doubt, it is essential to establish the official position in advance of commenting publicly."
Mr O'Dea reminded Lieut Gen Sreenan about sections of the Defence Forces regulations that prohibit any public comment on policies by a senior officer. "No discretionary power is mentioned," he said.
"The airing of individual or controversial views is simply prohibited and any departure from the prohibition is a breach of regulation."
The letter, which has been seen by The Irish Times, does not mention Lieut Gen Sreenan's interview with this newspaper.
It was sent on January 10th, 12 days after the interview was published.
The fact that Lieut Gen Sreenan did not seek Mr O'Dea's permission for the interview has been the subject of discussions between the two men and the secretary general of the Department of Defence, Michael Howard.
A spokesman for the Defence Forces said Lieut Gen Sreenan would not be commenting. He said the Minister and Lieut Gen Sreenan were regularly in touch on a variety of issues.
A spokeswoman for Mr O'Dea said the Minister regularly wrote to Lieut Gen Sreenan.
She noted that Mr O'Dea had asked Lieut Gen Sreenan to pass on the views contained in the letter to his senior officers. Lieut Gen Sreenan is set to retire in June.