Vol. 548 No. 3
34 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the Government's position regarding participation in Partnership for Peace; if the Army, Naval Service or Air Corps have received or have been promised training, instructions or funding arising from such participation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4799/02]
52 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Defence the exercises or programmes of NATO's Partnership for Peace in which the Defence Forces took part during 2001; the Partnership for Peace programmes and exercises in which the Defence Forces intend taking part during 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4702/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 34 and 52 together.
Ireland's approach to participation in PfP was set out in our presentation document of 1 December 1999, which outlined our five priority areas of participation as: co-operation on international peacekeeping; humanitarian operations; search and rescue; co-operation in the protection of the environment; and co-operation in marine matters. Ireland's first individual partnership programme, IPP, covered the period up to 31 December 2001 and included some 89 activities, consisting mainly of training courses, seminars, conferences and table top exercises. The cost of participation was in the order of €343,000, of which some €317,000 related to the activities proposed for the Defence Forces, the remainder relating to the civil element of the Department, including Civil Defence elements. The cost of the 2001 IPP was met from within existing resources.
Ireland's second IPP, covering the period 2002-2003, has been drawn up on the basis of experience gained with the initial IPP and continues to give practical content to the overall priorities identified in the presentation document. This second IPP contains a total of 125 activities to be undertaken by the Defence Forces, Civil Defence, civil staffs from the Department of Defence, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Marine and Natural Resources and the Department of the Environment and Local Government.
Participation in PfP activities is entirely voluntary and based on the principle of self-differentiation, that is, a state selects for itself the nature and scope of its participation. In accordance with this fundamental principle, all decisions regarding the content and form of the IPP for 2002-03 have been made by the Irish authorities. As had been done with the IPP for 2001, details of the IPP activities for 2002-03, which allow for adjustment based on policy development and the availability of financial and other resources, will shortly be placed in the Oireachtas Library.
The activities chosen focus on the enhancement of current skills and expertise in such areas as operational and generic planning for peacekeeping and peace support, communications, command and control, operational procedures and logistics and consist of training courses, workshops, seminars and table top exercises. They do not involve military manoeuvres or large-scale military exercises.
Ireland joined PfP's planning and review process, PARP, in May 2001, and our partnership goals have been chosen with a view towards enhancing interoperability with our PfP partners in such areas as tactics, operational cohesion, logistics and language training. Ireland, in common with other neutral EU member states that are members of PfP, participates in the PARP mechanism for the purpose of planning in respect of the EU headline goal. The aim is to create the conditions in which different contingents can work together efficiently and effectively. Ireland wishes to contribute its UN peacekeeping experience by playing an active part in humanitarian, rescue, peacekeeping and crisis management tasks – the Petersberg tasks – in support of the European Union's CFSP. Ireland sees PfP, in general, and the PARP, in particular, as having a significant role to play in co-operation and planning for participation in such tasks.
The training opportunities provided by Ireland's participation in PfP will further enhance the development of the Defence Forces consistent with the objectives of the Government White Paper on Defence published in February 2000.
What steps have been taken to advance the discussions that have been taking place concerning the appropriate arrangements for the financing of the Petersberg tasks? How does the Minister envisage those discussions progressing? What is the view of the Government on the discussions as they now stand?
Deputy Shatter knows that these tasks, should we undertake them, will be based on a sovereign decision taken here. Our desire – although the debate has to continue – is to fund that in which we will be involved. That will be the limit of our involvement.
Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate.
