Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Many Members of the Dáil have been raising the issue of Ireland's participation in EU battle groups for a while now and how our involvement is in accordance with our stated principles of neutrality, but the Government's response is to always hide behind intentionally opaque language. Last month, we even had the Taoiseach translating the term "battle group" into the French term "force tactique" and saying that would be a better term to use, presumably because even the term "battle" is too much of an indicator of the purpose of these groups.

When the Government talks of any military matters, it is always in terms of peace, security, stability, crisis management and the progress of our forces in the area. While that skewing of the language of war carries on, the arms industry tightens its grip on policymakers in Europe and we trundle on towards the objective of an EU military. Will the Minister of State clarify exactly the type of crisis for which we are preparing? Our involvement in battle groups has seen our troops being trained in the use of armoured personnel carriers armed with 13 mm cannons, grenade launchers and other such advanced weaponry. What application does the Minister of State see for such training in the future?

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