Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 61: To ask the Minister for Defence his views on the role of space technologies in the EU's new European security and defence policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17564/05]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Space assets have multiple applications, both civil and military. In the civil role, space assets or satellites are used, for example, in monitoring implementation of the Common Agriculture Policy and for environmental analysis, research, navigation and so on. In the context of European security and defence policy, the availability of satellites for monitoring, reconnaissance and surveillance is extremely important and has application regarding all the Petersberg Tasks, from monitoring the impact of humanitarian disasters, identifying access routes and supporting relief efforts, to monitoring troop movements and opposing forces in the case of a peacekeeping or peace-making operations.

Space is a vital asset in supporting strategic decision making and operational planning. For example, the use of satellite imagery is essential for identifying transit routes in areas where reliable maps may not be available and for communications, weather forecasting and so on.