Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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20. To ask the Minister for Defence if he will report on the recent visit of the Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces to Lithuania. [29112/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Seán McCann, paid an official visit to Lithuania during the period 28 May to 1 June 2013. His visit was conducted in the context of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union as part of the 18 month Trio programme of Ireland, Lithuania and Greece. The visit afforded the Chief of Staff the opportunity to call on the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence, where he met with the Minister of National Defence, Juozas Olekas, and senior military staff. Ireland’s experience in hosting the Presidency of the Council of the European Union was discussed to facilitate preparations for the handover to Lithuania in July 2013. This will be the first occasion Lithuania will host the Presidency.

The Chief of Staff briefed the Lithuanian delegation on the defence issues I prioritised for our Presidency and the progress made in these areas. The outcome of the meetings and seminars held during the Irish Presidency, which were utilised as an opportunity to progress the development of the common security and defence policy agenda, were also discussed. During the visit, joint areas of interest, including Ireland’s overseas engagements in missions and Ireland's and Lithuania’s involvement in the European defence agencies' maritime surveillance project, were also discussed. Lithuania also expressed an interest in hearing about Ireland’s expertise in countering improvised explosive devices. During the official visit, tours and briefs of the headquarters of the Lithuanian land force, air force and navy, search and rescue units and various other elements of the Lithuanian armed forces were undertaken.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Mac Lochlainn may ask one brief question.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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I assume there is nothing to read into the fact that Lithuania has been a member of NATO since 2004 and nothing about which to be concerned. We know the Minister is mad to get Ireland into NATO. Should we be concerned?

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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This is part of the Deputy's party's daily hang-up. We have dealt with it at great length before. Since 1999, Ireland has been part of Partnership for Peace, together with other neutral states in Europe. This body plays a hugely important role in UN peacekeeping and humanitarian missions, something we have in common with Lithuania. The Lithuanian Minister, whom I know, is looking forward to Lithuania taking over the Presidency in some ten days' time. One of the things we have been doing, certainly in the area of defence and also on the justice side, in the weeks leading into that country's Presidency is co-ordinating issues it will take over from us. As we are now in our seventh Presidency and this is Lithuania's first Presidency, we are providing every backup and assistance we can. Lithuania is anxious that its Presidency be a success and that it can progress issues that have been addressed during the course of our Presidency. It was a very worthwhile visit by the Chief of Staff to Lithuania and it is most important that visits of this nature take place.