Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
753. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason that Ireland recently contributed €407,328 to the renovation of NATO office spaces in view of the fact that NATO is an extremely well-funded organisation and that there should be no need for non-members to contribute to the upkeep of its offices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43235/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra754. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason that Ireland is incurring administrative costs of between €66,000 and €107,000 a year for rent and phone bills to pay for a staff presence at NATO headquarters given that Ireland is not a NATO member and that any support work needed by the Irish ambassador to Belgium as part of their duties as Ireland's official representative to NATO could be carried out at the Irish embassy in Brussels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43236/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 753 and 754 together.
Ireland joined the Partnership for Peace (PfP) framework in 1999. Established in 1994, PfP is a voluntary and cooperative framework for regional security cooperation between NATO and individual non-members of NATO. There are currently twenty members of the PfP framework including Ireland, Malta, Austria, Moldova, Switzerland, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Over the last two decades, Ireland’s participation in PfP has been of significant importance in the development of the peacekeeping capabilities of the Irish Defence Forces and their interoperability with other potential peacekeeping contributing nations. Ireland is currently contributing to the UN-mandated, NATO-led peacekeeping operation in Kosovo. In the past, Ireland supported the NATO operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In this context, Ireland’s PfP Liaison Office works bilaterally, and in cooperation with like-minded missions, to advance Ireland's engagement in areas of common interest. In addition to capabilities for peacekeeping, these include the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, the issue of protection of civilians in armed conflict and the protection of children in armed conflict.
To manage this work, and in common with other PfP members, Ireland has an office for our PfP delegation in a NATO building in Brussels, with staff from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Defence and the Defence Forces.
Ireland is responsible for the costs of the running, maintenance and upkeep of this office, including renovations as necessary. These costs are directly payable to NATO.
