Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin TD, says there are no restrictions in either domestic or International law on "individuals who lawfully join the regular armed forces of another State".

He was responding to a query from the Celtic League about the numbers of people from Ireland who join the British Armed Forces and the compatibility of this with the International Convention against the recruitment, use, financing and training of mercenaries - a Convention which Ireland has still to ratify.

The Celtic League had also pointed out that the involvement of such substantial numbers of Irish nationals in the armed forces of other countries such as the United Kingdom undermines the dedication and neutrality of Ireland's own armed forces at present heavily committed to International peacekeeping duties in various overseas countries. The Foreign Ministers letter is strangely muted on this issue (see below).

"Dear Mr Moffatt,

Thank you for your letter to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Micheál Martin TD. The issues raised in your letter fall primarily within the responsibility of the Minister for Defence and I have passed your letter to his office for attention and direct reply.

I can, however, reply in relation to your query about the International Convention against the recruitment, use, financing and training of mercenaries. The Convention was adopted by the UN General Assembly by Resolution 44/34 on 4 December 1989. It was open for signature by all UN member states until 31 December 1990 and remains open for accession thereafter. It entered into force on 20 October 2001 and there are currently 17 signatories and 30 States party to the Convention. Ireland has neither signed nor ratified this Convention.

The definition of a mercenary within the Convention is complex but refers inter alia to specific recruitment, locally or abroad, in order to fight in an armed conflict and payment of material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar rank and functions in the armed forces. The focus of the Convention is not on individuals who lawfully join the regular armed forces of another State.

With kind regards

Yours sincerely,

Sinéad Ryan Private Secretary"

See related artiicle on Celtic News at:

(voir le site)

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

16/07/08

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