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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 5 Nov 2002

Vol. 556 No. 3

Written Answers. - Defence Forces Strength.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

204 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Defence if the Defence Forces currently have the capability to provide both a full United Nations peacekeeping contingent and a standby contingent for the European Rapid Reaction Force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20535/02]

Ireland's commitment to collective security is pursued through the United Nations, which has the primary role to play in the maintenance of international peace and security. The UN possesses no standing military forces of its own and relies on the provision of such resources by willing members. The Government, contrary to misguided speculation, remains determined to continue to contribute actively to UN peacekeeping. Our future contribution will, of course, take into account the changing and more complex nature of peacekeeping, which involves additional tasks such as humanitarian assistance, the protection of human rights and civilian police work. Ireland's commitment to the headline goal consists of an offer of up to 850 members of the Defence Forces from within our existing commitment of 850 personnel to the United Nations standby arrangements system, UNSAS.

With the development of European security and defence policy, the question of how the two are linked together is often asked. The answer is that one complements the other and they are mutually reinforcing. The UN has encouraged regional approaches to peacekeeping and there have recently been discussions between representatives of the UN and the EU on peacekeeping and crisis management issues. The level of co-operation between the EU and the UN will deepen and will be enhanced as ESDP develops.

The Government will decide on a case-by-case basis whether, when and how to commit either troops or other resources to any peace support operation. In accordance with the relevant legislation, participation requires UN authorisation, a specific Government decision and Dáil approval – the so-called triple lock. Our commitment to the headline goal is therefore fully consistent with Ireland's approach to overseas peacekeeping and consistent with our foreign policy traditions. Ireland has a significant contribution to make to the continuing development of security policy and it is vital that it remains at the centre of that process and continues to influence the development of these policies both within the UN and within the European Union.

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