Sir, - Paul Cullen reported (The Irish Times, February 1st) that US arms companies see Ireland as a bridgehead to the European market. As a result, Ireland is now sending increasing amounts of weapons and weapon components to Africa and other parts of the developing world.
A 1996 report from Action from Ireland (AfrI) found that more than a dozen Irish companies had links with the arms trade and military industry. The number of military export licences issued by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has increased from 81 in 1996 to 346 in the first 11 months of last year. Export destinations included Singapore, India, Saudi Arabia, Peru, Chile, Brazil.
The Government maintains that Ireland has no indigenous arms industry, but it permits the export of "dual-use goods", meaning they can be put to civilian or military use. Yet such items as "weapons sights, bombing computers and weapon control systems" are among the goods licensed for export.
We are concerned that Ireland, which has suffered so much from the abuse of military weapons, should be a contributor to the international arms trade in this way, and we ask the Government to institute an immediate review of the situation. - Yours, etc., Rosetta Gray, RSM,
Mercy Justice Office, O'Connell Street, Limerick.