Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 November 2018
98. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if the Government plans to participate in the Joint EU Intelligence School; the funds that will be spent on the project; his views on reports that the project would form part of a European army; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49024/18]
View answerUnder PESCO, Member States are coming together in different groups to develop and make available additional capabilities and enablers for peacekeeping and crisis management operations under the EU Common Security and Defence Policy.
With regard to the Joint EU Intelligence School, this is a PESCO Project which is led by Greece and features in the second round of projects. The second round of projects were agreed at the Foreign Affairs Council with Defence Ministers in Brussels on the 19th November, 2018.
The project aims to provide education and training in intelligence disciplines and other specific fields to EU member states intelligence personnel. I can confirm that Ireland does not have any plans to participate in this project and as such no costs will arise in this regard.
PESCO is provided for in the Treaty of the European Union (Articles 42.6, 46 and Protocol 10) introduced under the Lisbon Treaty. PESCO has nothing to do with the creation of an EU army. Indeed the Irish Protocols to the Lisbon Treaty specifically state that the Lisbon Treaty does not provide for the creation of an EU Army.
