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

I move:

That Dáil Éireann approves the report by the Minister for Defence regarding service by the Defence Forces with the United Nations in 2020, a copy of which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 21st June, 2021, in accordance with Section 13 of the Defence (Amendment) Act, 2006.

I welcome this opportunity to report to the Dáil on Irish Defence Forces’ participation in United Nations missions in 2020 and 2021 and to present to the House a motion proposing Ireland's participation in four permanent structured co-operation, PESCO, projects. This debate comes at a time when we are experiencing war on our Continent, something we hoped we would never have to see again. The outrageous and illegal war being perpetrated on Ukraine by Russia has, quite rightly, shone a light on this country’s attitude to this form of illegal aggression.

This Government has been clear that while we remain militarily neutral, we are not neutral in our steadfast support for the people of Ukraine. Last week, we had the opportunity to discuss these motions in the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence. I would like to use this opportunity, therefore, to address some of the issues that arose in that discussion and, in particular, to correct some misunderstandings or misinterpretations about PESCO and the reasons why I am proposing that Ireland should enhance its engagement.

Indeed, there are links between what I am proposing with regard to PESCO and the contribution that the Defence Forces continue to make on international peacekeeping duty. The primary benefit of participation in PESCO projects is the enhancement of the Defence Forces capabilities and our interoperability with EU member states. In every UN or Common Security and Defence Policy, CSDP, mission in which we participate, we work alongside the armed forces of other countries, whether that is with the Poles, Hungarians and Maltese in United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, or with the Germans in United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, MINUSMA.

Ireland’s contribution to peacekeeping around the world reflects a commitment to work with others to overcome emerging challenges. Together, we can provide support for fragile states and prevent conflicts from escalating further. The presentation of the two UN reports gives this House the opportunity to express our appreciation for the role which the Defence Forces continue to play throughout the world in the preservation of peace. At a time when a part of our Continent is at war, it is difficult to think of something more laudable than keeping peace and helping innocent and vulnerable people to survive conflict.

The reports on Defence Forces participation in United Nations missions in 2020 and 2021 were laid before Dáil Éireann on 21 June 2021 and 30 March 2022, respectively. These reports document the participation of Defence Forces personnel in UN-led or UN-authorised missions, which include CSDP missions, such as the EU training mission in Mali, EUTM Mali, the EU-led mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or Operation Althea, and the NATO-led international security presence in Kosovo, KFOR.

I want to address an issue that arose in the committee last week, during which reference was made to the absence of Dáil approval for the deployment of the Defence Forces personnel to the EU training mission in Mali, thus effectively questioning the legitimacy of the deployment. It is the case that in all circumstances in which the Defence Forces personnel are deployed overseas, they are so deployed in strict coherence with the law. The conditions under which the Defence Forces may participate on overseas peace support operations are set out in the Defence Acts. Where personnel are deployed as part of an International United Nations force, the conditions known as the triple lock must be satisfied. That requires that the operation must be authorised or mandated by the United Nations; it must be approved by the Government and, where the size of a Defence Forces contribution is more than 12 personnel, it must be approved by way of a resolution of Dáil Éireann. In accordance with the provisions of sections 3(1)(b) and 3(1)(d) of the Defence (Amendment) Act 2006, the approval of Dáil Éireann is not required where members of the Defence Forces are deployed in a training role. EUTM Mali is a training mission and so, in accordance with the provisions of the Defence (Amendment) Act 2006, the approval of Dáil Éireann was not required.

There is a range of activities provided for in law when it is not necessary for Defence Forces personnel who are travelling outside the State to have the approval of the Dáil. These include the conducting of or participation in training; undertaking monitoring, observation or advisory duties; undertaking humanitarian tasks in support of an actual or potential disaster or emergency, such as we did very effectively in the Mediterranean; or participating in sporting events, as one would expect.

The EUTM Mali was launched with the objective of training and mentoring the Malian armed forces so as to improve their military capacity and their effectiveness in guaranteeing the country’s territorial integrity. Following serious allegations of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, EU member states decided in April to suspend operational training activities for the Malian armed forces, the national guard and the national gendarmerie of Mali. Several of the troop-contributing nations are adjusting their commitments to the mission, including a number of which are withdrawing entirely. The EU, however, remains committed to the mission, not least because of concerns about the vacuum which a full withdrawal would create. In line with a reduction in the levels of training, my Department and the Defence Forces are also considering what level of support is appropriate, given the changing nature of this mission.

The issue of mandatory selection was also raised last week, and rightly so. It is a practice used sparingly and only when there is an insufficient number of volunteers to fill overseas appointments. While I am not in a position to detail the number of occasions on which mandatory selection has been necessary, personnel selected for mandatory overseas deployment may appeal their selection. The Defence Forces personnel management system is being upgraded to capture information relating to such appeals and the upgraded system is expected to go live in the first quarter of next year.

The possible deployment overseas of members of the Reserve Defence Force, RDF, was also raised during the committee meeting. Deputies will be aware that, following the enactment of the Defence (Amendment) Act 2021, that the RDF may support the Permanent Defence Force, PDF, on a voluntary basis both on-island and overseas, where it is in the best interests of the PDF. The practical arrangements to implement the amendment, including all the elements associated with the voluntary service by Reserve Defence Force members overseas are being progressed by departmental officials and the military authorities. Reserve Defence Force Representative Association, RDFRA, the representative association for the RDF, will also be consulted on these matters. I have also engaged with the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Varadkar, on the issue of employment protection for RDF members who might be engaged in such voluntary military service in support of the PDF. That is an issue that a number of Deputies have asked me to pursue. We are pursuing it to ensure that if people choose to serve either at home or overseas in the Reserve Defence Force, that their jobs are safe.

Engagement at official level with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is continuing to consider the matter and identify the appropriate next steps. My Department is arranging, with the assistance of Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, a preliminary and informal meeting with employer bodies and associations. A letter on the matter has issued to Irish Business and Employers Confederation, IBEC, and Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, and it is hoped that this meeting will take place very shortly. The outcome of these deliberations and the advice of the Chief of Staff will inform consideration of these matters.

I referred at the outset to the importance of interoperability, particularly in the context of Defence Forces personnel serving side-by-side with colleagues from many different countries. The Defence Forces place a heavy emphasis on ensuring the interoperability of their personnel and rightly so. The tools available include our participation in Partnership for Peace, PfP, our voluntary participation in NATO’s Operational Capabilities Concept, OCC, and our participation in the EU’s permanent structured co-operation, PESCO. Ireland has been a member of PfP since 1999 and our participation is fundamental to Ireland being able to meet its obligations in providing professional peacekeepers for international crisis management and peacekeeping operations mandated by the UN and in enhancing the Defence Forces interoperability with other professional military forces.

The Operational Capabilities Concept, OCC, is a voluntary evaluation process, which Ireland joined in 2016. It provides for external evaluation by trained evaluators of declared military capabilities in accordance with NATO standards. The main benefit of participating in the OCC is that Defence Forces training is benchmarked to an international standard, thereby ensuring that the protection of Irish Defence Forces on operations is enhanced. The Defence Forces are participating at level 1, which focuses on interoperability. In other words, if we are going to be serving overseas with other countries, we need to make sure that we are competent in using the same equipment, the same standard of training and the same benchmarks that are being set in the countries with which we will be operating in the field. We have to ensure that we have consistency with here which is exactly what we are doing.

Participation in PESCO is another tool that can enhance the Defence Forces’ military capabilities for participation in UN-mandated peace support operations, enhance interoperability and ensure that our troops are provided with the latest and best equipment and training. Having been at the centre of the EU’s CSDP since its inception and having played a key role in the EU’s overseas operations, joining PESCO was a natural progression from an Irish perspective. It provides a structure within which we can work with other member states to develop capabilities needed for peacekeeping and crisis management operations, and to maintain a central influence on the development of CSDP. It is unfortunate that there are those who either misunderstand or choose to misrepresent the purpose of PESCO. It is not, as some would suggest, a Trojan horse for a European army, nor does it compromise our policy of military neutrality. It does not involve a commitment to the development of any form of common military force.

Having pointed out these facts, today’s debate should focus, therefore, on the motion before the House. What the Government is proposing is a very modest level of participation in PESCO by increasing the number of projects in which we are participants from one to five of the 60 projects that are currently under way. Ireland is currently the lowest-level participant of the 25 member states that participate in PESCO. The proposal before the Dáil will bring our rate of participation to a level similar to that of Finland. It will still be below those of other militarily neutral countries like Austria and Cyprus.

We should focus today on the specific projects in which it is proposed to participate, whether that is with regard to cyberthreats, military disaster relief capability, special operations forces medical training or semi-autonomous technologies and capabilities for maritime mine counter measures, which are all highly relevant at the moment given some of the challenges we face on our continent and beyond. In each of these cases, Ireland has had the benefit of having been an observer for a number of years. Therefore, we know what these projects entail before we become a full participant.

Following an assessment of all of the nine projects on which we have been observers, the Defence Forces have concluded that there is value in progressing to full participant status. While observer status enables a member state to secure information on the project and map its evolution and alignment with national capability development requirements, full participation allows the member states to contribute to and influence the project. In other words, the national needs from a defence capabilities perspective can be taken on board and included in the objectives of the overall project.

The motion before the Dáil reflects the military advice provided to me, which will further enhance the Defence Forces’ capability to undertake the roles assigned to them by the Government, both at home and overseas. In view of the thorough assessment that informed that advice, there is no reason to delay progressing to full participant status, as was suggested last week.

Without prejudice to the Government’s decision on the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, I point out that the commission recommended that the opportunities offered by PESCO to "develop Ireland’s defence capabilities should be more fully explored and exploited than at present." This is exactly what we are doing. In that respect, the advice given to me to progress to full participation is fully consistent with the recommendations of the commission's report.

I have taken some time this afternoon to elaborate on and address some of the issues raised at last week’s committee meeting. There is a significant amount of misunderstanding and misrepresentation about what PESCO is, and, perhaps more importantly, what it is not. This debate needs to be honest and informed. My contribution this afternoon is aimed at contributing to such a debate. I commend the motions to the House and look forward to responding to any queries Deputies may have.

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