Umstrittene Schweizer Sicherheitspolitik ... - ETH Zürich

Ausland
expenditure measured as a proportion of GDP in the EU. The expenditure
has remained quite heavily focused on personnel. We do relatively
little research and development. However, there has been over the last
ten years a programme of modernization and upgrading of equipment.
This has been paid for largely by disposal of property. We had a very large
network of barracks across the country, some of which have been closed
as recently as this year.
Operational matters are for the Department of Defence, but general
policy questions relating to international peace and security and to the
deployment of Irish troops are for both the Department of Defence and
the Department of Foreign Affairs, and of course for the Government
as a whole.
The four basic functions of the Defence Forces as set out in the
Defence White Paper of 2000 are as follows:
1. To defend the State against armed aggression.
2. To aid the civil power.
3. To provide a fishery protection service in accordance with our obligations
as an EU member; this is a matter for the Naval Service.
4. To participate in multinational peace support, crisis management
and humanitarian relief operations in support of the United
Nations and under UN mandate, including regional security missions
authorized by the UN.
Leaving aside fishery protection, which is a specialized function, it is fair
to say that in reality there has been little perceived external threat in the
period since the Second World War. This is essentially a matter of geography.
There has been little perceived reason to fear any kind of invasion.
During the period of the Northern Ireland Troubles, from 1970 through
to a number of years ago, the Defence Forces had quite a significant role
in supporting the police in a range of security related functions, especially
along our border. However, with the end of the troubles, that function
has been reduced in importance.
That means that over the last ten years, peace support operations
have become the principle raison d’être of our Defence Forces. We see
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