I refer the Deputy to my answers to the previous questions.
As I stated clearly in my replies to those questions, the Government's White Paper on Defence, published in February 2000, set out a medium term strategy for defence covering the period up to 2010. A major objective of the strategy is to ensure that Ireland has a world class military organisation capable of carrying out the roles assigned to it by the Government, both at home and abroad. This objective requires an ongoing modernisation process, including an investment programme, to ensure that the Defence Forces are properly equipped for these roles.
In seeking to modernise the Defence Forces, I have been fully conscious of the need to obtain the best possible efficiencies from existing resources. For example, the disposal of assets has been used as a method of financing our re-equipment programme, while the planning and review process of Partnership for Peace has been used as the forum for enhancing the ability of the Defence Forces to operate effectively with contingents from other countries on Petersberg Task type operations. In this way the Defence Forces have been able to make a valuable contribution to peace support operations from within existing resources.
In regard to financing of Petersberg Task type operations, Ireland favours maximising a system of financing operations on the basis of costs lie where they fall. This is the basis on which Ireland successfully participates in KFOR and SFOR, and I envisage that our participation in similar Petersberg Task type operations in the future will be similarly financed. The cost implications of the operational activities of the Defence Forces are kept under continual review in my Department.
In addition, I support measures which may emerge within the European Security and Defence Policy which could lead to future efficiencies in defence spending. For example, the creation of an agency in the field of defence capabilities development, research, acquisition and armaments as agreed by the Thessaloniki European Council in June 2003, by implementing such efficiencies, could yield economies of scale for the procurement of equipment for the Defence Forces.
Both the development of the agency and the development of an EU rapid response capability with an emphasis on supporting the United Nations in crisis management are issues which are currently under consideration at EU level. Much work remains to be done at EU level on both these issues before any meaningful cost analysis of their implications can be usefully undertaken.
In the context of the broader development of the EU's capacity to carry out both civilian and military crisis management operations, I have continuously advocated that the EU should prioritise the development of qualitative aspects of capability development. I am pleased this view is shared by many of my colleagues at EU level at a time when the majority of member states, including Ireland, has no plans to increase defence spending.
I take this opportunity yet again to remind the Deputy that national sovereignty and voluntarism are, and will continue to be, the fundamental underlying principles of participation in the European Security and Defence Policy, ESDP. Accordingly, I do not consider the issues he has raised on the European security strategy and the draft constitutional treaty will alter current Government policy in this area.
