Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 16: To ask the Minister for Defence if there have been further developments in regard to the formation and participation of EU led battle groups or peace enforcement missions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17621/05]

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 20: To ask the Minister for Defence if the Government will actively play a role in the formation of the EU battle groups currently under consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17529/05]

Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 31: To ask the Minister for Defence , further to possible joint training missions with forces of EU member states, if he will report on the review now taking place by the interdepartmental group he established on the issue of Irish troops exercising with EU rapid reaction elements in future; the other issues this interdepartmental group is considering (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17558/05]

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 33: To ask the Minister for Defence if he has contacted any of his EU member state counterparts with regard to Ireland's contributing to a possible joint EU battle group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17551/05]

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 43: To ask the Minister for Defence if any decision has been taken on the matter of Irish participation in EU battle groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17531/05]

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 53: To ask the Minister for Defence if he has received communications from any of his European Union counterparts with regard to the proposed new EU battle groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17552/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 154: To ask the Minister for Defence the extent to which Irish Defence Forces personnel have been involved in preparations for EU rapid response military missions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17735/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 155: To ask the Minister for Defence if he has had discussions with his EU colleagues in regard to the possible formation of EU peace enhancement or peace enforcement missions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17736/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 156: To ask the Minister for Defence the extent to which progress has been made in the formation of EU led battle groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17737/05]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 20, 31, 33, 43, 53, 154, 155 and 156 together.

The background to the rapid response elements concept, commonly referred to as battle groups, is that at the European Council in Helsinki in 1999, member states set themselves a headline goal that "by the year 2003, co-operating together and voluntarily, they will be able to deploy rapidly and then sustain forces capable of the full range of Petersberg Tasks as set out in the Amsterdam Treaty". In short, they are humanitarian, rescue, peacekeeping and crisis management operations, including peacemaking. This included, inter alia, a capability to provide "rapid response elements available and deployable at very high readiness". The ambition of the EU to be able to respond rapidly to emerging crises has and continues to be a key objective of the development of the European security and defence policy, ESDP.

Ireland's participation in such operations is entirely consistent with our foreign policy commitment to collective security which recognises the primary role of the UN Security Council in the maintenance of international peace and security and our tradition of support for the United Nations. Indeed, this is a position endorsed by the UN Secretary General who recognises and supports the development of EU rapid reaction elements as a key factor in enabling the UN to respond more rapidly and with greater authority to emerging crises. During his visit to Dublin in October 2004, the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, stressed the importance of battle groups and requested Ireland's support for them.

At the Cabinet meeting of 16 November 2004, the Government agreed that I should advise my EU counterparts of Ireland's preparedness to enter into consultations with partners with a view to potential participation in rapid response elements. A military capabilities commitment conference was held on 22 November 2004 at which member states committed up to 13 battle group formations which will be available to deploy to crisis situations within a five to ten day period from 2005 onwards. A battle group co-ordination conference was held on 11 May 2005 at which initial offers and commitments by relevant member states were confirmed. It was noted that only one slot, the second semester of 2007, remains unfilled.

Ireland supports the development of the EU's rapid response capability in support of UN authorised missions and is positively disposed towards participation in the rapid response elements in this regard. However, it is important that the full implications of our participation are assessed and, to this end, I have established an interdepartmental group which includes representatives of my Department, the Defence Forces, the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Attorney General's office. This group met in December and has established three subgroups to address the policy, legislative and operational issues arising.

These groups are now working on position papers on the various issues related to Ireland's potential participation in EU rapid response elements. This is a detailed and complex task and it is expected that the work of the subgroups will span several months, not least because the rapid response elements concept is still evolving and a complete picture of all other member states' proposed involvement is not yet available. That said, I expect to receive the report over the summer months. I will then consider the matter, in consultation with my Cabinet colleagues, to see how we bring the matter forward from there.

Ireland's participation in rapid response elements will remain subject to the usual requirements of a Government decision, Dáil approval and UN authorisation and I have no plans to do away with the triple lock mechanism as the legal basis for our participation in overseas peace support operations.

Last Monday, along with Defence Ministers from other member states, I attended a meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council at which ESDP issues were discussed. Progress was noted on a 2005 requirements catalogue, which details an initial list of the capabilities required to meet the aims set in the 2010 headline goal; a single progress report on military capabilities; a European capabilities action plan; rapid response; and a report on the activities and 2005 work programme of the European Defence Agency.