Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Defence if the decision on Ireland participating in the new EU battle groups has been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38208/05]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 76: To ask the Minister for Defence if the decision on Ireland participating in the new EU battle groups has been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38198/05]

Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 83: To ask the Minister for Defence if the reports commissioned to examine the feasibility of Irish participation in the EU battle groups have been completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38139/05]

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 92: To ask the Minister for Defence if the policy of the triple lock will have an impact on the potential involvement of the Irish Defence Forces in the EU battle groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38143/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 103: To ask the Minister for Defence the position in regard to Ireland's participation in EU or UN led battle groups or rapid response forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38210/05]

Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Defence the position regarding Irish participation in EU battle groups; if he has received the report of the interdepartmental group established to examine all issues relating to battle groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38158/05]

Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 71, 76, 83, 92, 103 and 108 together.

The background to the rapid response elements concept, sometimes 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, these 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 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, the Minister for Defence established an interdepartmental group which includes representatives of his Department, the Defence Forces, the Taoiseach's Department, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Attorney General's office to consider the policy, legislative and operational issues arising from participation.

The Minister received the report from the indepartmental group last week and is currently reviewing it. The report deals comprehensively with a range of issues related to rapid response elements-battle groups and also issues arising in the context of overseas service by the Defence Forces generally. Once the Minister has had an opportunity to consider the matter he plans to consult his colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, with a view to bringing proposals to the Government as to how we then proceed. In advance of the Government having had the opportunity to consider the issue, it would be inappropriate to comment on the relevant actions which may be taken pursuant to the group's report.