Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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24. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence for details of the oversight by Dáil Éireann of the participation of Irish troops in a British-led EU battle group in May 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16650/16]

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Will the Minister for Defence provide details of the oversight by Dáil Éireann of a participation of Irish troops in a British-led EU battle group in May 2016, and will he make a statement on the matter?

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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A central plank of Irish foreign policy is support for the multilateral system of collective security represented by the United Nations. In this regard, Ireland has worked to uphold the primary role of the Security Council when it comes to international peace and security. This commitment has found expression in Ireland's long-standing tradition of participation in UN peacekeeping operations. Participation in EU battle groups is another means for Ireland to express our commitment to the UN and its principles.

At its meeting of 14 July 2015, the Government approved the participation of five members of the Permanent Defence Force in the UK-led EU battle group, which will be on stand-by for six months from 1 July 2016. The resolution on Ireland's accession to the memorandum of understanding for the battle group was passed by Dáil Eireann on 9 June. The opportunity to deploy a small number of Irish personnel to the operational and force headquarters of the battle group will enable the Defence Forces to gain a greater insight into UK operations and command structures, with a view to potential future participation jointly with the UK in peacekeeping operations.

The UK-led EU battle group will consist of participants from Ireland, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden and the UK. Following a change of Government in May 2016, Cyprus, which had originally intended participating in this EU battle group by providing a small number of staff officers to the operational headquarters, has advised that it will not now be doing so. It is important to note that each participating country retains the right to deploy or not to deploy its forces, irrespective of an EU decision to launch a battle group operation. As such, any deployment of the Irish contribution as part of the battle group will still be subject to a UN mandate and Government approval.

I recently gave an assurance to the House that, notwithstanding that Dáil approval is only required in respect of deployments of 12 or more personnel, in the event that a decision by Government might be required on an actual deployment of the EU battle group, I will be happy to facilitate discussion in the House in such circumstances.

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I find the term battle group unsettling. I do not think it appropriate phraseology for a peacekeeping troop. On 18 May, Irish troops participated in the EU battle group. They spent 18 days doing war games on Salisbury Plain. To me, that compromises Irish neutrality. Ireland is meant to be neutral of any aggression. This is NATO-lite. Our troops should not be involved in any acts of aggression around the world. We should pull out of these battle groups, or whatever one might want to call them, because they are a de factoEuropean army.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I absolutely agree that the term battle group is a misleading and unfortunate term. I have raised this with the Department but I understand that we alone cannot change it. A change in the term would have to go through the UN. The term is a standard, technical military term. Essentially, it is a battalion size force with support elements including transport and logistics. The overall size of a battle group is approximately 1,500 personnel. EU battle groups have a readiness to deploy, within five to ten days, a range of possible missions.

The Deputy raised the issue of our neutrality. The participation in battle groups has no effect on our traditional policy of military neutrality. A commitment to a battle group does not involve any commitment to common or mutual defence. I will state again that any deployment of 12 or more personnel in a peacekeeping or peace enforcement operation will require a UN mandate as well as Government and Dáil approval in accordance with the triple lock mechanism. This is one of the reasons I brought the issue of the EU battle group to the Dáil recently.

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Perhaps the Minister of State could indicate if he knows how many Irish troops took part in the war games on Salisbury Plain? I find it very unsettling that Irish troops are conducting these kinds of military exercise. I do not know if the Minister of State knows precisely how many troops were involved.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I am not aware of any war games that the Irish Defence Forces have participated in. I assure the Deputy, again, that our participation has no effect on our traditional policy of military neutrality. I am not aware, so far as I understand, that military training of that type is carried out in any battle group. I actually visited a battle group back in 2012 and I can assure the Deputy that the experience the Irish Defence Forces receive from a battle group, and which they can bring back home, is very beneficial to our military organisation, especially for those members who work with other like-minded countries. I understand the Deputy might have his own concerns, but the term "battle group" is unfortunate as it does send out the wrong message about what it is exactly we are participating in.

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Is the Minister of State aware of the war games that took place in-----

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I am not aware of-----

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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It was reported in The Sunday Times.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I did not see any such article on it.

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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It is bizarre that-----

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy can have this conversation outside Question Time, if that is okay. I would now turn to No. 25, but Deputy Thomas Byrne is not in the House.