Mr. A. Cecil Walkerasked the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are used in deciding which Irish regiments should he posted to Northern Ireland; and how these criteria apply to the presence and role of the Ulster Defence Regiment in the Province.
§ Mr. StanleyIrish regiments have not generally been deployed in Northern Ireland for a variety of reasons, not least the additional strain this would place on soldiers and their families.
338WThe Ulster Defence Regiment was formed in 1970 as a result of the Hunt committee's recommendation that a locally recruited, part-time, military defence force be raised to assist the Royal Ulster Constabulary. The regiment was therefore raised under the Reserve Forces Act to serve in Northern Ireland with a specific task in mind. Its members join on the understanding that they will not be asked to serve outside the Province, aside from the possibility of short periods of training; this is particularly significant to the part-time members who make up the majority of the regiment and who have civilian jobs as well.