Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We should always remind ourselves that the Nice treaty included provisions affirming that Ireland could not take part in a common defence without further amendment of Bunreacht na hÉireann. I sincerely hope that possibility will never arise. We also have the Seville Declaration of 2002 in which we obtained agreement among our EU partners on Ireland's position on military neutrality. That is very clear and it is included in the Constitution. That is our source of governance and we will stick by it. There is also the triple lock arrangement, to which Deputy Lisa Chambers referred.

The Minister of State has outlined clearly that Ireland's participation in European Defence Agency projects enhances the capacity of the Defence Forces in their peacekeeping and crisis management operations. We should take every opportunity in the Oireachtas to record our appreciation of the huge contribution made by Permanent Defence Force personnel over many decades in working in the most difficult of peacekeeping missions. All of the soldiers involved did the country proud and, sadly, some made the ultimate sacrifice. I represent two counties which have a huge tradition of participating in the Permanent Defence Force and know many families in which a number of siblings have participated in peacekeeping missions. These families have always taken great pride in the fact that their members were able to participate in missions in the most difficult of circumstances. The least the Defence Forces deserve is to be properly equipped when they participate in very challenging missions. Anything that can enhance their capacity within the parameters we all support is welcome and necessary. Participation, co-operation and collaboration enhance the capacity of the Defence Forces and ensure they have the most up-to-date skills and access to the most modern technology.