An Cosantóir

26 | Green Paper on Defence Published by Cpl Paul Millar Photos: DF Photographers T he Green Paper on Defence was launched in July by the Department of Defence (DoD). This is a consultative document that raises questions and invites answers from interested people and organisations and sets the basis of discussions for the White Paper that will establish the next era of Óglaigh na hÉireann from 2014. The White Paper on Defence in 2000 was the first such document in our history, so we are entering the second decade of a specific and formulated defence policy that impacts on all our day-to-day activities. Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Mr Alan Shatter TD, said: "The new White Paper on Defence will set out Ireland's defence policy for the next decade and the consultative process launched today will provide the general public and interest groups with the opportunity to input their views. The Green Paper on Defence is intended to both inform members of the public and to stimulate a mature and productive debate on Ireland's future defence policy. I encourage all interested parties, both individuals and organisations, to contribute their views. All suggestions, opinions and perspectives will be considered in the formulation of the new White Paper on Defence." The Green Paper starts with an overview of our current roles and an explanation of where these came from and current DF programmes. There is a section on some of our specialist capabilities, including CBRN, in unique, realistic environments, and the Naval Service's lead role in a study on naval mariner training for the European Defence Agency. The latter is part of a larger initiative focusing on the pooling and sharing of skills and education within the EU to enable a more integrated, multinational approach to security. The paper contains a plain language explanation of neutrality and the triple-lock system, from how they are defined to how they are applied in practice. Two key questions in relation to this seek to examine how we can maintain these two concepts while still being effective in collective and international missions. From a soldiering point of view, we often forget that the Civil Defence is part of the Department of Defence . This, and references to the RDF, means that all PDF personnel will need to become a lot more knowledgeable of our domestic security partners. The paper goes on to define what it sees as the future of our international security environment, with good An Cosantóir September 2013 www.dfmagazine.ie sections on the emergence of cyber crime and warfare, piracy, and the change in terrorist experience in Europe. It describes these future threats as "interconnected, more diverse, less visible and less predictable." How this rebranding of threats affects our training and deployments has been seen already and will be laid down in stone with the White Paper. It is these future projections that are of most interest, as they reflect changes to the world landscape that we as peacekeepers will have to operate in. Sometimes it can be difficult to see the forest for the trees in terms of the tasks of the Defence Forces fitting into a bigger, more cohesive picture. The Green Paper provides a bird's-eye view of what we do and the reasons for it. While you wouldn't curl up at night with this, it is worth reading just to keep you informed of our chosen profession. An electronic copy of the Green Paper on Defence is available on the DoD website at www.defence.ie and on the Strategic Planning Branch web page on the DF Intranet. D COS (Ops) requests that Brigades/Formations and Corps Directors submit observations on the Green Paper on Defence to Director Strategic Planning Branch for inclusion in the Defence Forces submission on the Green Paper. Individual submissions by members of the Defence Forces can be made by e-mail to whitepaper@ defenceforces.ie or by post to the address below. Hard copies of the Green Paper may be requested from the same address or by telephoning 045 49 2190. The closing date for submissions is 27 September 2013. Please note that all documentation received will be subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Acts 1997 and 2003 and may be subject to release. White Paper on Defence, Director of Strategic Planning Branch, Defence Forces Headquarters, Station Road, Newbridge, Co Kildare.

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