Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Dáil Éireann approves Ireland’s participation in a European Defence Agency Project in relation to Military Search Capability Building pursuant to section 2 of the Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009.

I appreciate the opportunity to present this motion, which was placed on the Order Paper following its discussion at the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence. In commending the motion to the Dáil, I will briefly outline the function of the European Defence Agency, EDA, and the background to the programme in which Ireland wishes to participate.

The EDA is an agency of the European Union established by a joint action of the Council of the European Union in 2004 "to support the Member States and the Council in their effort to improve European defence capabilities in the field of crisis management and to sustain the European Security and Defence Policy as it stands now and develops in the future". On 6 July 2004, the then Government approved Ireland's participation in the framework of the EDA. Ireland has participated in a number of EDA projects since we commenced our participation in the agency in 2005. They included projects in the area of maritime surveillance and networking, a force protection project that involved measures to protect military forces engaged in operational activities, a programme relating to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear protection, projects focused on counter-improvised explosives devices manual neutralisation techniques, and a project on co-operation on cyberranges in the EU.

This proposal seeks approval for Ireland to participate in the EDA military search capability-building project. This is a key capability when working in a contested environment. The Defence Forces engage extensively in specialist military search activities, dealing with unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices and ensuring a safe and secure operating environment for military operations. The Defence Forces engineer specialist search and clearance teams are regularly deployed on both home and overseas operations.

There are two specialist search teams operating overseas in UNDOF and UNIFIL and they predominantly conduct route searches and area clearances in advance of vehicle or foot patrols. The Defence Forces have also provided this capability to An Garda Síochána in support of aid to civil power operations during high profile visits by foreign VIPs and for searches for bodies and weapons. A recent example of this was the deployment of military search teams to search buildings and open areas involved in the Papal visit last summer. There have also been a number of searches for the bodies of missing persons and more conventional operations against paramilitary groups and criminal organisations.

The Defence Forces corps of engineers does not have specialist search teams at an advanced search capability level. Advanced search personnel are capable of conducting hazardous environment search, working in confined space and operating in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear environments. Participation by the Defence Forces in this project addresses this capability gap.

It was very clear to me following the discussions with the select committee that the committee members all recognised the importance of ensuring our Defence Forces personnel are equipped and trained to meet the needs of Government and ensure the protection of our State. The aim of the project is to develop common processes, techniques and procedures for military search for contributing member states.

The overall cost of the project is €2.28 million over six years and it will be funded by eight participating member states. Funding comprises both financial contributions and contributions in kind. Ireland's contribution over the lifetime of the project is €157,500. This comprises €102,500 contributions in kind associated with hosting an international seminar and a number of training events, and a direct financial contribution of €55,000. Costs will be met within the defence Vote.

The anticipated benefits of the Defence Forces participation in this project are that it addresses a current deficiency at the advanced level of engineer specialist search and clearance capability, that the training to instructor level in this project will ensure that this requirement may be met in-house going forward and that the project provides an efficient and cost effective means of qualifying teams to advanced search level and maintaining their currency, which would otherwise be prohibitive if it had to be procured in the market.

Ireland’s participation in this project affords us the opportunity to keep abreast of best practice and new developments in the defence environment in a cost effective manner, particularly as it impacts on multinational crisis management operations. Participation in this European Defence Agency project has the full support of military management.

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