Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 138: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the issue of PfP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33704/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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My most recent discussions with European counterparts on the issue of Partnership for Peace, PfP, took place at the security forum of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, EAPC, in May this year. The EAPC security forum, which was inaugurated this year, is intended as an annual informal ministerial meeting which provides an opportunity for in-depth discussion of important security policy issues linked to PfP.

Sweden was chosen to host the inaugural security forum, which was held in Åre on 24 and 25 May this year. It consisted of an informal meeting of Foreign Ministers on 24 May and a broader meeting of delegations on 25 May. The informal Foreign Ministers' meeting discussed current operations and future requirements. I emphasised the importance Ireland attaches to developing our capacity to participate in UN-authorised peace support operations.

On 25 May the portion of the security forum open to all members of the national delegations began. The theme for the second day was, Managing Security — Our Common Challenge. Events included an opening plenary session, four panel discussions running in parallel with one another and a concluding lunch. Issues such as unresolved European conflicts and co-operation between international organisations in the Balkans and elsewhere were discussed. The media were able to follow most of the forum.

Ireland's participation in PfP is set out in our five individual partnership programmes, IPP, copies of which have been lodged in the Dáil Library. Ireland's sixth IPP, covering the period 2006 to 2007, is currently being completed by the Department of Defence in consultation with my Department and the Departments of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Health and Children and Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, and will be lodged in the Oirechtas Library upon completion. Activities under the partnership programmes consist of training courses, seminars, workshops, conferences, staff exercises and table top exercises.

Ireland also participates in the PfP planning and review process, PARP. In common with the other EU neutral and non-aligned states, Ireland is using the PARP process in connection with planning for humanitarian and rescue tasks, peacekeeping and crisis management, collectively known as the Petersberg tasks. The scope of our involvement in PARP is focused on enhancing interoperability and familiarity with operating procedures in a multinational environment.

Participation in PfP activities is entirely voluntary and is based on the principle of self-differentiation. This principle provides that a state selects for itself the nature and scope of its participation. This allows the Government to determine for itself the manner and scope of Ireland's participation in PfP activities.

It is the Government's policy to stay in the mainstream of peacekeeping. Ireland's participation in PfP enables our peacekeepers to remain abreast of developments in areas such as training, interoperability and humanitarian aspects of peacekeeping. Participation enhances the ability of our peacekeepers to work with those of other countries and also enables us to share our own peacekeeping skills with a wide range of countries. It is important that Ireland be represented on occasions when matters in the field of peacekeeping in which we have a legitimate interest are discussed.