The Government would consider ending the 20 years of Irish service with the UN peacekeeping operation in Lebanon if "significant problems" with our military could not be overcome, the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, has warned.
Mr Smith delivered his warning to serving soldiers attending the annual PDFORRA conference, the staff association representing some 10,000 members of the Defence Forces.
During the Minister's address, 18 delegates from the six barracks closed earlier this year by the Government walked out in protest, posting stickers with the names of the barracks on the podium from which Mr Smith was speaking.
At the end of his speech, another national executive member of PDFORRA (Permanent Defence Forces Other Ranks' Representative Association) walked out.
Mr Jim Kavanagh, from Monaghan barracks, said: "Shame on you sir, shame", as he passed the Minister on his way out. The end of Mr Smith's speech was also met with the remaining delegates holding up "against" voting cards.
In his address, Mr Smith commented on the difficulties in raising sufficient numbers of volunteers to serve with the UN in Lebanon. His remarks come only a week after a first High Court settlement of compensation to an officer who claimed, among other things, not to have been treated for post-traumatic stress disorder following a gun battle in Lebanon in 1980.
Some 45,000 soldiers have served in overseas peacekeeping operations and many of these will have experienced dangerous situations. The officer is believed to have received £80,000 in the settlement.
Some 13,540 serving and retired soldiers - a figure larger than the current strength of the Defence Forces - are claiming damages for alleged hearing loss. A further 800 have lodged claims for other alleged injuries incurred while in service.
Among the claims are those from soldiers seeking compensation for suffering food poisoning during a barbecue in Lebanon earlier this year.
Commenting on the compensation issue, Mr Smith said: "The cost of the most spurious claims is not only hurting us now but will haunt us for decades to come. No amount of personal attacks or character assassination will camouflage this unassailable fact."
He said despite the adverse publicity concerning the claims, he read daily reports of good deeds performed by the military. He pointed to the help given to residents of Ballymun flats by soldiers during the strike which affected their lifts.
Mr Smith also referred to the fact that the Army had experienced difficulties in recent years in raising the 650 volunteers needed to staff the Irish Battalion presence with UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon). "On the overall issue of overseas service, problems have been raised about difficulties in getting personnel to serve overseas and it could possibly reach a stage where significant problems will exist in fulfilling our obligations in Lebanon.
"I have a very simple solution if this happens. We will inform the UN: `Sorry, we cannot get the volunteers, we have to pull out'. I hope, of course, that this situation does not arise."
He criticised the association's leadership for spreading a "doom and gloom" scenario about life in the Defence Forces.
Responding to personal attacks made on him by the PDFORRA president earlier, Mr Smith said: "Has any individual or group in the history of human relations ever insulted its way to a better understanding with others?"
On hearing compensation claims - they have so far cost the State £53 million, with a possible further £500 million worth of claims lodged - Mr Smith said: "I had hoped to be in a position to avoid the controversy surrounding hearing claims. This is an issue which has done untold damage to the Defence Forces and, sadly, it has yet to be brought to a satisfactory conclusion."
Responding to PDFORRA claims that there was a conspiracy between Government and the media to "blacken" the name of the Defence Forces over the issue, Mr Smith said: "Any thought that this issue could have been resolved quietly by handing over several hundred million pounds is preposterous . . . There is no way that millions of pounds could suddenly be found without attracting a lot of attention."
He defended his decision to close barracks earlier this year. "Anybody who had any knowledge of the Defence Forces would know that barrack closure has been on the agenda for the last 20 years. It is something that other administrations stand indicted for, given their complete inaction and refusal to bite the bullet and deal effectively with the issue, which continued to have a very detrimental effect on the Defence Forces."