asked the Minister for Defence if any officers of the Irish army have participated in or attended NATO exercises; if there have been any consultations between the Irish military authorities and their counterparts in NATO; and the subject matter of any such consultations.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - NATO Exercises.
37.
At the invitation of the military authorities of the German Federal Army, officers of the Permanent Defence Force attended, as observers, a military exercise in the Federal Republic of Germany in September last in which units of the German Federal Army and armed forces of the United States of America participated. There has been no consultation between the Irish military authorities and their counterparts in NATO. This exercise was attended by some 20 countries from western and eastern Europe in accordance with the confidence building measures of the Helsinki Final Act.
The Minister's reply refers to a specific incident last year. The question as I read it has far wider implications. Is the Minister saying that no members of the Irish Defence Forces have participated in any courses or seminars of short duration or a duration of up to six months which were organised by the NATO command in the NATO organisation?
The question refers to NATO exercises.