Fresh controversy over the events of the 1970 Arms Crisis is likely to result from the release of State papers under the 30-year rule. Secret military documents officially confirm for the first time that the Government of the day issued a directive to the Defence Forces on February 6th 1970 to train and prepare for possible incursions into Northern Ireland.
However, such operations were envisaged only where there had been a complete breakdown in law and order and the security forces in the North were unable or unwilling to protect the nationalist minority.
According to a secret report of a meeting the following June, the Chief of Staff, Lt-Gen Sean McKeown, told the Taoiseach, Mr Jack Lynch, that a study of a possible incursion had been carried out. This showed that the Army's capacity in a "Doomsday" situation was limited to sending 800 troops into Newry, Co Down, for a period as short as 24 hours, and that "considerable casualties" were anticipated.
The Chief of Staff said that, as far as he was concerned, an incursion was not the same as an invasion, but rather "a short temporary stay to carry out a mercy mission and return". For his part, Mr Lynch "reaffirmed that it was the policy of the Government that force would NOT be used as a means to reintegrate the national territory".
Indeed, Mr Lynch envisaged the possibility that British and Irish troops could work in conjunction to defend the minority. However, he indicated that, "should incursions into the North be required, they would not be preceded by political or diplomatic representations".
This echoed a statement made to the Chief of Staff on the previous February 13th by the then minister for defence, Mr James Gibbons. The meeting was sought by Lieut-Gen McKeown to discuss the Government's directive requiring him "to prepare and train the Army for incursions into Northern Ireland, if and when such a course became necessary, and to have respirators [gas masks] and arms and ammunition made ready in the event that it would be necessary for the minority to protect themselves".
A military study was immediately carried out and the Chief of Staff was seeking clarification of the directive from Mr Gibbons. In response to a query as "to whom and in what circumstances" the arms and ammunition were to be handed over, the Minister is reported as saying he "had no idea but agreed that stockpiles were to be held in Dublin and Athlone".
The following April 2nd, in response to a request from Mr Gibbons, the Army moved 500 rifles, 80,000 rounds of ammunition and 3,000 respirators to Dundalk military barracks. This followed a telephone call to the Chief of Staff from the minister, who said that his Cabinet colleague, the minister for agriculture, Mr Neil Blaney, had informed him that "attacks on the minority were planned and that British security forces would be withdrawn and accordingly would not afford protection for the minority".
Additional material on the North and the arms trial is being made available this week.