Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

I am committed to the triple lock as it stands. On the proposals I will bring to Cabinet, as I said, we have set up a group which is divided into three subgroups to consider all the issues on participation in rapid reaction units. I will take the conclusions of those groups to Cabinet where we will discuss them. That is the position. People have asked if we should make a decision on this immediately. At the conference in Brussels, some countries talked about committing by 2010. That did not indicate a great urgency. The only agreements at present are for battle groups set up by framework countries where a battle group would come from one country.

On multi-operational measures, where a number of countries are involved, I am advised that they will not get off the ground until approximately 2007 at the earliest. There is no great compelling urgency about this. We are performing our functions of peacekeeping and peacemaking on behalf of the United Nations in missions established or authorised by it as we have always done. This is another way in which we can help if we can. However, I am not prepared to abandon the triple lock to enable us to do so.

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