Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 May 2013
131. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the arrangements Ireland has in place for a liaison office to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; the resources that are available to this office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24234/13]
View answerIreland's cooperation with NATO is conducted through the Partnership for Peace (PfP). The PfP was launched in January 1994 as a means of outreach to the new democracies in Central and Eastern Europe, and as a way to promote stability and strengthen relationships through the promotion of practical cooperation. PfP has since been joined both by states who wish to become NATO members and by states that do not, including neutral and non-aligned states such as Finland, Sweden, Austria and Switzerland. Russia is also a member. Russia is also a member. Ireland became a member of the PfP and its political counterpart, the Euro Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC), in December 1999. At that time, Dáil Éireann approved a Presentation Document setting out overall priorities for Ireland’s participation, the foremost priority being cooperation in peacekeeping and crisis management.
In 2000 the Department established a Liaison Office in Brussels to represent Ireland at the PfP and EAPC. The Ambassador to Belgium is Head of the Liaison Office and the Office is staffed by this Department, the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces. In total there are 5 staff assigned to this Office, and its annual budget in 2013 is €268,437.
