Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 December 2020
363. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Defence if Irish troops are being trained in NATO facilities to NATO standards and if Defence Forces equipment is being aligned to NATO standards; if it is intended that they will be; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40403/20]
View answerIreland’s relations with NATO are set within the framework of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and Partnership for Peace. This is a voluntary flexible instrument for co-operation between NATO and its partner countries. The primary aim of Ireland's Partnership for Peace 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.
NATO is effectively the international standards organisation for military forces. Access to NATO training and standards, through participation in Partnership for Peace, has proved invaluable in the development of Defence Forces capabilities for the increasingly complex and challenging crisis management operations we face today. It improves the quality of our contribution to UN missions and UN-mandated missions including those led by regional organisations such as the EU and NATO.
The Defence Forces have ongoing opportunities to avail of training techniques and facilities available to other forces throughout Europe. They attend training courses run by the following organisations:-
- NATO School Oberammergau, Germany
- Associated Centres of Excellence (COEs)
- Partner Training and Education Centres (PTECs); and,
- Other foreign militaries which offer courses of interest to the Defence Forces
The Defence Forces seek to constantly benchmark training across all three arms of the organisation against best military and academic practice. Military best practice is ensured by implementing a policy of standardisation that is in line with EU and NATO/Partnership for Peace.
The Operational Capability Concept offers us access to the evaluation concept of training, feedback and advice in accordance with NATO procedures and standards. Such engagement allows the Defence Forces training to be benchmarked to an international standard through external evaluation, which aims to improve the levels of interoperability and operational capabilities in order to enhance operational relationships between Alliance and partner contributors to EU and NATO-led crisis management operations under UN mandates, and provides us with the assurances that the standards required are being reached.
Certain equipment purchased to support the capabilities of the Defence Forces is in accordance with NATO Standards. In the procurement of equipment the specification of the equipment will be in line with the relevant NATO technical standards and is included as a requirement in the contract award procedures. With many different items of personal equipment, vehicles, armour types and the battlefield threats in existence, the Defence Forces generally use a common military standard to determine the appropriate levels of protection against threats. Many products which support Defence Forces capabilities are already in service in the military forces of many other countries, thereby facilitating interoperability with other countries in missions abroad, whether EU, UN or NATO led missions.
