Vol. 532 No. 1
103 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Defence his views in relation to newspaper articles (details supplied) which state Ireland will have only a soft peacekeeping participation in the Rapid Reaction Force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6752/01]
At the outset I would like to clarify any confusion arising from the description of the capabilities for the EU Headline Goal as a "Rapid Reaction Force". The response capacity currently being developed by the EU, and frequently described as a Rapid Reaction Force, is emphatically not a standing army. Rather, it constitutes a catalogue of capabilities available to provide the means to carry out Petersberg tasks, tasks of crisis management, peacekeeping and humanitarian activities, the national elements of which can only be deployed on foot of decisions by each potential contributor.
Ireland has a long and distinguished record of involvement in a wide range of UN peacekeeping missions in diverse operating environments. The commitments made in relation to the EU Headline Goal must be seen in the context of continuing Ireland's long-standing support for overseas peace support operations authorised by the United Nations.
As regards any potential EU Petersberg operation, in keeping with the Government's stated position in this area, I would reiterate that Ireland will approach each mission on a case by case basis and only participate in operations authorised by the UN as comprehended by the appropriate legislation, that is, the Defence Act, 1954, the Defence (Amendment) No. 2 Act, 1960, and the Defence (Amendment) Act, 1993.
