Seán Crowe
Question:26. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Defence if he has plans for the State to join NATO. [13161/13]
View answerThursday, 14 March 2013
Questions (26)
Written answers
I can confirm that this Government does NOT intend to join NATO. Our cooperation with NATO will continue to be conducted through the Partnership for Peace. There has been no change in policy in relation to Ireland’s engagement in NATO or indeed in our Policy for deploying our troops to NATO-led Missions, which requires that the Mission be UN Mandated, and Government and Dáil approved. Ireland’s relations with NATO are set within the framework of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) and Partnership for Peace (PfP), including its Planning and Review Process (PARP).
Ireland joined EAPC and Partnership for Peace (PfP) on 1 December 1999. The EAPC is a multi-lateral body, made up of the 28 members of NATO and the members of PfP, for political and security-related dialogue and consultation between its members.
The primary aim of our PfP participation is to enhance the Defence Forces’ interoperability with other professional military forces for the purpose of engaging in UN authorised peacekeeping and peace support operations led by the UN, EU or NATO. Participation in PfP is fundamental to Ireland being able to meet its obligations in providing professional peacekeepers for international crisis management and peacekeeping operations mandated by the UN.
Allow me to reiterate that our participation in PfP is not prejudicial to our traditional policy of military neutrality.