THE Army Ranger Wing (ARW) should be used against the drugs traffickers who are shipping large consignments of cocaine and cannabis through the west coast, officers of the Defence Forces have said.
Their body, the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (RACO), heard a call at its annual conference in Galway yesterday for an expanded role for the ARW.
The unit, which has about 100 members and is based in the Curragh Camp, is trained in counteracting aircraft hijacks and in anti terrorist techniques. However, its role has largely been taken over by the Garda's Emergence Response Unit, which is trained in similar techniques.
RACO yesterday called for the ARW to be used to lead the State's response to the major drug smugglers. Capt Adrian Ryan, deputy general secretary of RACO, said the drug smugglers were as dangerous and well organised as terrorists, and the ARW, the State's main anti terrorist military unit, should be used against them.
"There is a positive role and a positive contribution for the ARW in dealing with this problem. They should be used initially to train naval personnel involved in drugs interdiction and then (ARW) personnel should be used on ships which intercept drugs carriers.
A review of the role and structure of the ARW, one of the Defence Forces' most secretive units, is under way. A board of senior officers is examining the unit with the aim of producing a report on its prospective role.
Also at the conference yesterday, delegates expressed concern at the trend of offering Air Corps and Naval Service functions under contract to civilian operators.
A Naval Service delegate said the Department of the Marine has been examining civilian fishery patrol operators in Scotland and Norway and it was expected that the Government intended to remove this function from the Naval Service in the future.
The delegate said the Naval Service offered a multi functional service and the civilianisation of fishery patrols or other functions could result in "three or four navies" which would cost the State more money.
Air Corps delegates also said the removal of flight training from the service would cost the State more.
Delegates said that the State could have purchased a second Government jet for the cost of hiring an additional civilian jet during the EU Presidency.
The Air Corps delegates are also seeking a financial inducement to keep pilots who have completed 10 years service in the Air Corps on short term contracts.
It was pointed out that 11 of the 100 Air Corps pilots have left in the past six months and that this was placing strain on the remaining crews. Pilots were earning far more flying civilian aircraft but would stay in the Air Corps if they were offered inducements.
The Fianna Fail defence and marine spokesman, Mr Michael Smith told the conference that the EU would not provide funds for extra ships for the Naval Service unless severe crew shortages were tackled by the Government.
He said that additional personnel must be recruited immediately. Current strength was now below 1,000, and "hundreds of millions of pounds" worth of fish were being lost to the economy through illegal fishing. However, drug importation posed the greatest threat, and the purchase of ships and proper crewing levels were not some luxury but a "crucial necessary line of defence in tackling this most heinous of evils".
He was referring to the Minister for Defence and the Marine's confirmation that some £30 million is to be spent on extra ships, at least 50 per cent of which will come from the EU, for fisheries surveillance.
Fianna Fail in government would buy extra ships and would also tackle recruiting levels, which have dropped significantly, Mr Smith said. The five year contract for recruits - which is said to deter many applicants - would also be reviewed by his party. The contract would not be open ended" but might span 12 years.
Referring to the Efficiency Audit Group review of the Defence Forces, he said that the closure of barracks was now "inevitable", but there should be greater honesty from the Government on the issue.
As Ireland's economic performance improved, the Defence Forces should be entitled to a larger share of resources to meet their needs, he said. "An army cannot be cobbled together. Chopping and changing deicnce, recommendations and allocations of finance makes any effort to carry out a plan a frustrating and futile exercise", he said.
Fianna Fail's plan for a white paper on defence policy, which would be published within 12 months of returning to office, would cover 10 years of reform, with full details on exact actions to be taken during each phase.
Also addressing the conference, Senator John Dardis, of the Progressive Democrats, said the, annual cost of running the Defence Forces and Department of Defence came to nearly £460 million. This would not even pay the national dole hill for six months, he said. For every £1 spent on social welfare, 10p was spent on the armed forces, he said.