Professor John Maguire:

Senator Alice-Mary Higgins raised the question of the kind of operations involved. We can look at the Commission on the Defence Forces, forgetting the forum where people went off on the wildest views as to what might happen, but at the strict black-letter contents of the commission. They mentioned capabilities across each domain, which includes more fighting capability; deeper engagement; higher intensity; more demanding; challenging situations; higher risks and harsher conditions; tougher environments. We cannot say we have not been told what is envisaged. That relates to Professor Murphy's point about open-ended involvements, which I have argued in Defending Peace: Ireland's Role in a Changing Europe, began with the Petersberg Tasks. I am neither a lawyer nor a parliamentarian, but we signed up to Petersberg Tasks which say "shall include". That does not say what it excludes. That is very relevant to the Department of Defence's response to criticism that the arms training in Kilworth Camp seemed to be a huge level of allegedly non-lethal involvement in the Ukraine war. The answer was the list given was indicative, not exhaustive. We are opening the doors here, and we do not know how they can be closed if we let it through.