Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Defence Forces contribution to the German battle group will involve a special operations task force comprising special operations forces platoon, engineer special search capability, explosive ordnance disposal capability, and security platoon, together with staff posts at both the operational and force headquarters. I would single out one capability from that list, that of explosive ordnance disposal. Given the part of the country the Deputy comes from, she will be aware that many Defence Forces personnel have had to provide their services in terms of ordnance explosive disposal over the recent past. I am not sure if that has happened in her constituency and I do not want to diminish it in any way but we have seen that happen in parts of Dublin. It is very important for our personnel to exercise and train and to have the opportunity to increase their training capacity in order that when called on, they are able to deal with whatever eventuality presents.

The total number of the Irish Defence Forces personnel who will be involved in the German battle group will be about 148. The level of resource commitment will only arise should the battle group be called on to undertake an operation and should Ireland agree to participate. The number of personnel involved in leading up to and during the standby period, where the battle group has not been mobilised to undertake an operation, will be in the region of ten. These personnel, mainly staff officers and non-commissioned officers, will be engaged in training and planning activities serving in various appointments and posts in the operational force headquarters in Ulm in Germany.

I have had the opportunity to visit battle group exercises and participate in such exercises on the policy side. It was only when I went to see a battle group on the ground that I saw their importance. When our personnel serve on overseas missions, be it in Mali, Lebanon or the Golan Heights, we recognise the importance of interoperability, working with like-minded states, and being able to increase our training capacity. Some people want us to send our Defence Forces personnel to Lebanon and to say they are doing a fabulous job there, but there is no point in our troops only training in Ireland, running around the Glen of Imaal or down in Kilworth in Cork, when we do not have someone to exercise against. To use a sporting analogy, if any team was only to train on its home ground and not to have practise matches, when it would compete in the championship, it would not be able to give of its best.

It is very important for our troops to be able to participate with like-minded states, have interoperability and keep their training to a very high rate and high standard.

Regarding the EU training mission, EUTM, Mali, I had the privilege of visiting Mali with the Taoiseach in January. It was my second opportunity to visit the country. There is also a UN blue helmet mission employed in Mali in support of the sovereign Government of Mali. We are carrying out a mission there to train the Malian armed forces. It is only right and proper we give them an opportunity. They are highly trained and highly skilled. We can bring back some kind of ordinary life to Mali. It is only right and proper that they have such an opportunity and that we bring stability back to the country. One needs trained soldiers and armed forces to do this. We are not doing this in Lebanon, but Lebanon is a similar case. Other countries are helping the Lebanese to train their armed forces, which is only right and proper. One cannot expect any country to have a highly skilled army unless someone comes in willing to help and train them and give them the capacity to carry out their daily duties.