Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In commending the motion to the select committee, I will briefly outline the function of the European Defence Agency, EDA, and the background to the programmes in which Ireland wishes to participate. The EDA was established by a joint action of the Council of the European Union in 2004, "to support the Member States and the Council in their effort to improve European defence capabilities in the field of crisis management and to sustain the European Security and Defence Policy as it stands now and develops in the future". On 6 July 2004, the Government approved Ireland's participation in the framework of the European Defence Agency on the basis of a memorandum submitted by the Minister for Defence, in association with the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The EDA is an agency of the European Union. The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, Federica Mogherini, is head of the agency. Federica Mogherini is also chairman of the EDA steering board, its decision-making body, which is composed of defence Ministers of the 27 participating member states, that is, all EU member states except Denmark, which has an opt-out on defence matters under Protocol 5 to the Treaty of Amsterdam, and the European Commission.

Ireland participates in the framework of the agency and contributes in the region of €311,000 to the annual costs of running the agency including its annual work programme. Outside of the annual general work programme, the agency also supports a range of other work programmes and projects funded on an ad hocbasis by the member states in various compositions. In some instances, all member states will participate in these projects and programmes unless they specifically decide to opt out. These are referred to as Category A projects or programmes. In other cases, a small number of member states will group together to pursue a particular initiative. These are referred to as Category B projects or programmes.

The EDA is focused on assisting member states in capability development, obtaining better value for existing spending levels, improving competitiveness and securing greater efficiency particularly in the areas of research, technology, manufacturing and procurement, which have been notable for fragmentation and duplication. The Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 regulates Ireland's participation in EDA ad hoc projects. It prescribes that participation in Category A or B projects or programmes is subject to Government and Dáil approval. The primary reason for Ireland's participation in the EDA is to support the development of Defence Forces capabilities for peacekeeping and international crisis management.

I will give a brief outline of Ireland's involvement to date in EDA projects and programmes, following Government and Dáil approval. Ireland participated in a Category A programme on force protection, which is now completed. This involved measures to protect military forces engaged in operational activities. This is a key issue for the Defence Forces engaged in peace support and crisis management operations overseas. We participated in another Category A programme, which is also completed, on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear protection. This is a key capability area for the Defence Forces. Participation in this programme and access to the results of the research, studies and development work packages undertaken by the programme enables the Defence Forces to remain at the leading edge of capability development in this key area.

Ireland is participating in a Category B project on counter-improvised explosives devices manual neutralisation techniques, which was set up to address counter-improvised explosives devices manual neutralisation techniques training, which has been identified as a crucial skill and capability to be developed. Manual neutralisation techniques are used for explosive ordnance disposal and improvised explosive device, IED, disposal. Operators, on occasions, cannot use remote or semi-remote techniques to render an IED safe, and these complex explosive devices have to be neutralised manually. For example, manual neutralisation techniques are used where there is an immediate threat to the life of hostages who have an IED attached to them. The project began in 2014 and will run for four years.

Ireland has participated in another Category B project, which is now completed, on maritime surveillance. This programme further developed the recognised maritime picture exchange network technology that allows for the sharing of information among the wider EU defence community in support of the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy and the EU Commission's initiative to establish a common information-sharing environment.

The proposal I am putting to the committee is to seek approval for Ireland to participate in two EDA projects, one in the area of maritime surveillance and one in the area of cyber ranges. MARSUR Networking – Adaptive Maintenance, known as MARSUR II, is a Category B project, and is a follow-on to the Category B project on maritime surveillance networking, which I mentioned, which ended in October 2015. The objective of that project was to develop an automated information-sharing environment through the development of software technologies and the formation of a network to enhance information sharing within the maritime surveillance community.

This web-based system is now operational and information on the positions of ships, fishery protection and maritime safety and security is exchanged in a number of electronic forms between member states participating in the project. While the national operational system in Ireland is located in the naval base, with the user interface located in the naval operations centre, the system can be accessed from a remote location, including when ships are deployed. This is proving particularly useful for the Naval Service which is carrying out humanitarian operations in the Mediterranean. Classified information on the location of other craft in the area, as well as the locations of migrants who need to be rescued, is being exchanged with the Italian authorities. The original 13 member states, including Ireland, contributed €80,000 each to develop the system.

The main objective of the follow-on Category B project is life cycle support of the existing maritime surveillance capability through the provision of adaptive maintenance, system upgrades and enhancements and technical support. The project is necessary to ensure Ireland gets the full value of the initial project. It will ensure the system is maintained, kept up to date and adapted to meet the outgoing needs of the Naval Service. In order to maintain and increase our capability in this area, it is important that Ireland participate in the follow-on project. It will also improve the Defence Forces' inter-operability and operational effectiveness.

I will now give the committee some detail on the second EDA project - co-operation on cyber ranges in the European Union. The EDA Category B project aims to maintain and improve cyber resilience, as well as the levels of awareness, insight and expertise of member states' personnel. Cyber attacks pose a potential threat to the communications and command and control systems of the Defence Forces, both at home and overseas. The need to be able to defend Defence Forces' systems against cyber attacks has been identified as a specific capability requirement by the Defence Forces. Cyber ranges are a virtual environment used for cyber training, exercises and technology testing and evaluation. They also provide the means to help to strengthen knowledge of cyber defence operators and the performance of the computer information systems. They provide tools that help to strengthen the stability, security and performance of cyber infrastructure and IT systems used by the military. They can be remotely accessed in one country by personnel from another location or country. Remote access to cyber ranges and joint development of exercises and training events allow participants to benefit from better quality events and increase cost efficiency.

The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment has the lead role in the whole-of-government response to the cyber threat. In 2015 it published Ireland’s national cyber security strategy. This document is a high level policy statement from the Government acknowledging the challenges in facilitating and enabling the digital economy and society. The Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána provide inputs from the security perspective to this work. The Government task force on emergency planning which I chair maintains cyber security as a standing agenda item. Two members of the Defence Forces are seconded to the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment’s computer security incident response team. In any emergency or crisis, once defence systems are supported, the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces will provide support for this team in so far as resources allow. Details in this regard are being developed in a service level agreement to be agreed between the Department of Defence and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. Participation in the training and exercises available through the EDA Category B project will enhance the capacity within the Defence Forces to secure, protect and defend their own systems against cyber attack and also to contribute to enhanced capacity within the incident response team.

The total budget for the new maritime surveillance Category B project is €675,000. The cost of Ireland’s participation in the project is €15,000, per annum and €45,000 over the life of the project. With regard to the second project, cyber ranges, there will be no financial contribution to the project. Member states will contribute to it in kind, that is, through participating and exchanging information and knowledge of cyber range training and exercises. For Ireland, the maximum resource commitment is 100 man days for the life of the project.

I reiterate the benefits of our participation in both programmes. The success of the original maritime surveillance project hinges on the positive continuation of the follow-on project, MARSUR II. Without technical support, the services will degrade over time and ultimately become unserviceable. In order to maintain these benefits and further increase our capability in this area, it is extremely important that Ireland participate in the project. The cyber ranges project is an ideal opportunity for the Defence Forces to gain access to cyber ranges and enhance and protect the capability they already possess. They will be given an opportunity to gain access to best practice and standards in an extremely cost efficient manner. Our contribution to the project will be through participation and the exchange of information. Cyber defence is a key capability for the Defence Forces and their participation in the project will strengthen that capability.

Ireland’s participation in the EDA affords us the opportunity to keep abreast of best practice and new developments in the defence environment, particularly as it impacts on multinational crisis management operations. By participating in EDA projects the Defence Forces gain access to the most up-to-date technologies and can develop the capabilities and skills required to fulfil their role, including in peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, at reduced cost. The Government’s White Paper on Defence, published in August 2015, states Ireland will identify opportunities to participate "in multi-national capability development projects within the framework of the EDA in support of the Defence Forces’ operations, capacity and capability". The two projects being discussed are prime examples of how the Defence Forces can develop their capabilities in maritime surveillance and cyber defence. I commend the motion to the committee.