Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I advise Deputies Chambers and Ó Snodaigh that the memorandum of understanding is being prepared and I do not want to give a number until I have the exact number as I do not want to mislead the Dáil in any way. I agree with Deputy Chambers that no battle group in which we have participated has ever been deployed to date. Having spent last week meeting members of our Defence Forces deployed on missions involving the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, UNDOF, the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, UNTSO, and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, they would say that the experience they gained in a battle group with respect to interoperability, working with like-minded nations and so on is extremely important when they are deployed on a UN-mandated mission.

Deputy Wallace spoke of the possible missions a battle group could be called upon to participate in, be it crisis management or humanitarian assistance missions. I agree with the Taoiseach when he said that the term "battle group" is quite unfortunate. The Government has been trying to change it, and I understand a previous Government led by the party of which Deputy Chambers is a member also tried it change it at European level. People wrongly interpret the term "battle group". It is not that we are going into battle. We are participating in something that will give us capability, experience and interoperability which we cannot get by having our troops in barracks. The experience they get through participating in a battle group is extremely important when they go to participate in UN mandated missions, common security and defence policy, CSDP, missions or other missions. This is about working with like-minded nations. It is extremely important that our troops have the experience of working with the participants of other countries when they participate with them in missions. Such participation provides the opportunity for our troops to gain the experience of working with like-minded nations.

If we are to become full members of the battle group and if we are to be tasked on a mission that the battle group is called to participate in, approval for that will have to come back to the Dáil. It is not that we will participate in such a mission on a nod and wink basis. That would have to come back to the Dáil. Deputy Wallace voted for or against such a proposal previously.

See this speech in context