Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Ó Snodaigh's question related to the military hardware to be used by the EU battle groups. I have told him in quite reasonable language that the type of military hardware that will be used will depend on the mission in which a particular battle group is engaged. If it is involved in mainly humanitarian tasks, it will be the type of equipment to which I referred. If it is involved in a chapter VII mission such as that which took place in the Balkans, where warring armies are trying to kill each other, it will obviously require different capabilities, including force protection assets, heavy weaponry and so on. The hardware required by any individual battle group will depend on the task in which it is engaged. The Petersberg Tasks range from humanitarian rescue missions on the one hand to peacemaking operations at the other extreme.

I said in December that Ireland was favourable in principle to joining battle groups. My position remained the same in January and is the same now. Nothing has changed. We are in favour in principle but are nevertheless committed to the triple lock and will not sacrifice that merely to participate in battle groups. We are engaged in a process of trying to find ways to overcome the difficulties to participating in battle groups which are posed by the triple lock. Our policy is to stand by the triple lock if it proves insurmountable even after UN reforms.

I am cognisant of the issues raised by Deputy Ó Snodaigh in terms of UN mandates. He is aware that many countries do not require any UN mandate to become involved in foreign military adventures, whether the purpose is aggressive or involves peacekeeping or making. I assure the House that, if we join the battle groups, no Irish contingent will become involved unless the three conditions set out in the triple lock doctrine have been observed. A Government decision and Dáil approval will be required and the operation will have to be authorised, as defined in the Defence (Amendment) Act 1960, by the UN.

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