Ireland is to deploy more women peacekeepers to assist in conflict situations where gender-based violence is prevalent.

United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon specifically asked that Ireland might factor this approach into its operations on a visit to Ireland last May.

Minister for Defence Simon Coveney said he wanted to double the number of women in the Defence Forces who could work alongside male troops abroad, adding that women had a particularly important role to play in overseas mission.

“What Ban Ki-moon asked us to do was develop the capacity to produce focused units that could be sent abroad made up of female personnel for specific and difficult tasks linked to gender-based violence in conflict and post-conflict situations,” Mr Coveney said. These units will also include male Defence Forces personnel.

Speaking at the launch of the 2015 White Paper on Defence in Dublin Castle yesterday, Mr Coveney said he had already spoken to the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Conor O’Boyle, and the Garda Commissioner, Nóirín O’Sullivan, about the “challenging” plan.

Asked about his goal for women in the Defence Forces, Mr Coveney pointed out that women currently accounted for only 6 per cent of almost 9,500 personnel.

“That’s not good enough. If we’re going to be developing a reputation internationally for expertise in gender-based violence . . . I do think we need rebalancing in terms of trying to attract more women into the Defence Forces.”

The White Paper does not contain a recommended target for women membership.

“Even though we haven’t given an exact figure in the White Paper, I would certainly be hoping to double the number of women in the Defence Forces,” Mr Coveney said.

He said this was a challenge right across the world, not just in Ireland.

Mr Coveney said anyone who took security or defence for granted was very “naive”. Security was the bedrock on which political, social and economic achievements could be built.

“We have so many complex challenges that Ireland must help solve on the international stage. We will have developing and complex security challenges here at home,” he said.

“We need to have trained and focused people to respond to make sure that we, our families and our country is safe as a sovereign independent and proud state into the future.”

Mr Coveney said the probability of a conventional military attack on Irish territory was assessed as low.

He said the nature of conflict and security threats was evolving and would continue to present new challenges. “Cyber-attacks, transnational organised crime, international terrorism, drug trafficking, people smuggling, piracy and the effects of climate change do not respect international borders.”