Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I understand they will be. My apologies. If not, if my office is listening, it should get them here.

It is also worth noting that the matter of Ireland's intention to participate in PESCO has been the subject of further extensive discussions. It has been the subject of European Council and Foreign Affairs Council conclusions which have been debated and discussed in this House and its committees. It has also been considered through parliamentary questions, a Seanad Éireann Commencement matter and a Dáil Éireann Topical Issue debate.

The wider context is that the European Union and its immediate neighbourhood faces new and ever more complex challenges. These threats to international peace and security are multidimensional and transnational in nature. No country or member state acting on its own can address such challenges - it requires collective co-operation. The European Union's global strategy makes clear, in the face of these new and emerging threats and challenges, that the Union and its member states must take more responsibility for their own security and that of their citizens. The United Nations has also relied on regional organisations to act on its behalf in their own neighbourhoods. Therefore debate on this topic has to be seen in the context of the current international security environment and the ever-changing complex and intertwined nature of threats to our citizens, individual states and to international peace and security. In this regard, PESCO is a crucial mechanism which provides a treaty-based framework designed to improve the means by which EU member states can participate jointly in projects. This is designed to develop capabilities that will enhance crisis management and peacekeeping operations under the common security and defence policy, CSDP.

CSDP is intended to provide the Union with an operational capacity drawing on civilian and military assets which may be used on missions outside the Union for peacekeeping, conflict prevention and strengthening international security, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter. Up to now, however, the European Union's capacity to mount crisis management operations has been hampered by the absence of essential capabilities and the political will from member states to commit the required capabilities for CSDP operations. This House will be aware that Ireland has always strongly supported the development of the CSDP and of EU capacity to respond to international crises in support of the UN and has participated in all aspects of CSDP since it was established. Ireland is one of the leading contributors to common security and defence policy operations deployed under UN mandates or with the support of the UN. Ireland has 13 civilian experts serving in eight of the ten civilian CSDP missions, including Palestine, Somalia, Niger, Mali, Ukraine, Georgia and Kosovo.

Some 80 members of the Defence Forces are currently serving with distinction in three of the six military CSDP missions, including in Mali, where I had the privilege of visiting them, Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the Mediterranean with Operation Sophia. Ireland has contributed Defence Forces personnel to EU missions in Chad and had provided two mission commanders to the EU training mission in Somalia. Our membership of the European Union and the United Nations allows Ireland to deepen and sustain democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights through, among other things, participating in overseas peacekeeping and peace enforcement missions which in turn helps to make Ireland more safe and secure.

Participation in any PESCO project is entirely voluntary and it is a matter for each member state to decide for itself whether to participate on a case-by-case basis. While decisions remain to be taken on which PESCO projects we may wish to participate in, examples of the types of projects which Ireland is currently considering participating in include upgrade of maritime surveillance systems, development of unmanned underwater vehicles for protection of harbours and maritime systems, a centre of excellence for EU military training missions, and a cyber threats and incident response information sharing platform.

PESCO has had the strong endorsement of the United Nations, which is important to note because, in essence, the United Nations is about trying to maintain a positive impact on global stability and peacemaking. It is supportive of what the European Union is doing in that regard in the context of PESCO. Speaking at the informal meeting of defence Ministers in Estonia last October, the UN Undersecretary General for Peacekeeping supported the initiative as potentially providing additional capabilities for UN mandated operations. He repeated this point more recently in Vancouver at the UN Peace-Keeping Summit. PESCO is also a means of enhancing interoperability and, working with EU partners, ensuring that our troops are equipped with the latest and best equipment and training.

Participation in PESCO is provided for in the Treaty on European Union in Articles 42.6 and 46 and in Protocol 10. It was introduced under the Lisbon treaty and was voted upon by the Irish people. At Ireland’s insistence, PESCO's participation criteria expressly stipulate that PESCO will be undertaken in full compliance with the Treaty on European Union and the associated protocols. It fully respects constitutional provisions of all member states, including Ireland's. It is important to state that participation in PESCO has no implications for Ireland's policy of military neutrality or the triple lock on the deployment of Irish forces overseas, that is, a UN Security Council resolution or mandate, Government decision and Dáil approval.

This Government attaches great importance to our military neutrality. Over the past decades, successive Governments have restated their commitment to the policy and it remains as strong as ever under the current Government. That commitment was most recently set out in the White Paper on Defence which I published as Minister for Defence in August 2015. This reaffirmed that our policy of military neutrality remains a core element of Irish foreign policy, as had been previously re-articulated in the review of foreign policy entitled The Global Island which was published in January 2015. The Government is clear on our policy on military neutrality. We are also clear that participation in PESCO has no implications in that regard. Moreover, the protocols attaching to the Lisbon treaty specifically recognise Ireland’s policy of military neutrality where it is stated that "[t]he Lisbon Treaty does not affect or prejudice Ireland’s traditional policy of military neutrality".

PESCO also has absolutely nothing to do with the creation of an EU army. None of the treaties provides for or allows the creation of an EU army. PESCO is simply about making more binding commitments to each other to jointly develop military crisis management capabilities for use in support of CSDP operations. While the capabilities developed under PESCO can be used in CSDP operations, the deployment of those capabilities is still a matter for member states. PESCO will be implemented in full compliance with the Treaty on European Union and its protocols, respecting the constitutional provisions of the member states. Four other non-aligned EU member states – Austria, Cyprus, Finland and Sweden - are already committed to join PESCO.

PESCO was comprehensively debated in the context of the Lisbon treaty which was approved by the Irish people when they voted on the treaty in October 2009. PESCO was specifically referenced in the Lisbon treaty protocol to address the concerns of the Irish people and in Ireland’s national declaration. The legislation setting down Ireland’s approval process for PESCO was published in advance of that vote and enacted in November 2009.

Ireland, as a strong proponent of the important role the EU can play in support of international peace and security in support of the UN, wishes to remain fully engaged in all CSDP processes. Fully participating in these developments ensures that we continue to have a voice and that we can influence the evolution of all initiatives, including PESCO.

The question of whether Ireland is rushing into PESCO has been raised. I do not accept that this is the case. The notification was painstakingly discussed over a number of months. Irish officials were involved at every stage of the drafting process and the final text reflects their contribution. At all stages it was clear to partners that Irish participation was subject to a Government decision and Dáil approval and this is why Ireland did not sign the notification at the Foreign Affairs Council last month, when many other countries did.

It is particularly important that Ireland would move forward at the same time as our other EU partners, including in the security and defence domain, so as to protect our interests and values at a critical juncture in the future development of the European Union post-Brexit. PESCO is a key initiative in this regard. There are some misunderstandings which seem to have taken hold in some quarters regarding the commitments entered into by member states participating in PESCO. There is absolutely no commitment to increasing Ireland’s defence expenditure to 2% of Ireland’s GDP. The increase in real terms relates to meeting the agreed objectives of PESCO and not to Ireland’s overall defence budget. The figure of 2% referred to in the PESCO notification solely reflects a collective commitment by the participating member states to spend 2% of their defence expenditure on research and technology. This House will recognise that such a commitment would in Ireland’s case amount to a minuscule fraction of the figures heralded by some people who appear to be scaremongering in this regard.

Deputies will be aware that projected expenditure for the Department of Defence for the period 2018 to 2020 was set out on budget day. Nothing has changed in this respect except that PESCO will allow member states to pool resources with a view to achieving greater value for money with respect to their expenditure. All commitments are entered into "while respecting constitutional provisions of the member States". Ireland secured the inclusion of this wording as the Dáil is sovereign with respect to all decisions on expenditure.

A decision to participate in PESCO is entirely voluntary. Any decision to step out of PESCO would equally be entirely voluntary. However, a decision to leave would likely result in a Member State having less influence on the direction of the EU common foreign and security policy as inevitably that member state would be seen as less committed to the CSDP.

The House will be aware of the ongoing debate on security and defence issues and on the future of the European Union. The EU’s global strategy makes clear that our union needs to take greater responsibility for its security and that of its citizens. Important contributions to this debate are being made, including most recently by President Macron of France and by EU Commission President Juncker. Brexit is clearly having an impact on the direction of the debate as well. Different views have been expressed across member states. Ireland will engage in the debate on the future of Europe in a constructive manner and in full respect for the treaties and Ireland’s Lisbon protocol which reflect our traditional policy of military neutrality and that is not going to change. Where we must disagree, we will make our position clear but this Government is committed to participating in CSDP to the greatest extent possible consistent with our values and constitutional provisions.

I believe that all members of this House are extremely proud of the contribution our Defence Forces make in support of international peace and security. Participation in PESCO will allow these men and women to gain access to the latest and best equipment and training.

Participation in PESCO will allow these men and women to gain access to the latest and best equipment and training. This will help enhance their capabilities for peacekeeping operations and, above all, ensure their security and safety when deployed on some of the most challenging peacekeeping missions. When the Defence Forces are deployed overseas, they never do so alone. They always work in close co-operation with other countries. PESCO is a means of enhancing interoperability with project partners, enabling them to be even more effective at the peacekeeping for which they are renowned.

More than ever, with Brexit and emerging and increasing security challenges in our neighbourhood and beyond, it is important that the European Union can demonstrate unity and cohesiveness. To that end, in seeking the support of our EU colleagues on our priorities, it is important that we act in step in shared areas of concern, including security and defence initiatives such as PESCO. As I said, Ireland's participation in PESCO in no way diminishes or undermines our traditional policy of military neutrality; rather, Ireland's participation in PESCO will contribute to the enhancement of capabilities for UN-mandated missions engaged in peacekeeping, conflict prevention or the strengthening of international security in accordance with the principles of the UN charter. I commend the motion to the House.

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