Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Defence the Partnership for Peace activities the Irish Defence Forces have participated in during 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38207/05]

Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland's participation in Partnership for Peace to date is set out in our six individual partnership programmes, copies of which have been lodged in the Dáil library. Ireland's fifth IPP, covering the period 2005-2006, was completed last year in consultation with the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Justice Equality and Law Reform, Health and Children, and Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. A total of 116 activities were chosen representing participation by the Department of Defence, the Defence Forces and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Activities consisted of training courses, seminars, workshops, conferences, staff exercises and table top exercises.

Defence Forces personnel have participated in a number of staff, technical and crisis management exercises in the context of both the EU and PfP. In accordance with stated policy, the Defence Forces do not participate in multinational military field exercises. Participation in the selected exercises is limited at either staff or observer level. Ireland's sixth IPP, covering the period 2006-2007, was recently completed and a total of 118 activities were chosen representing participation by the Department of Defence, the Civil Defence board, the Defence Forces and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Ireland also participates in the PfP planning and review process, known as PARP. In common with the other EU neutrals, Ireland is using the PARP process in connection with planning for humanitarian and rescue tasks, peacekeeping and crisis management, collectively known as the Petersburg tasks. The scope of our involvement in PARP is focused on enhancing interoperability and familiarity with operating procedures in a multinational environment.

Participation in Partnership for Peace activities is entirely voluntary and is based on the principle of self-differentiation, that is, a State selects for itself the nature and scope of its participation. It is Government policy to stay in the mainstream of peacekeeping. Ireland's participation in Partnership for Peace enables our peacekeepers to remain abreast of developments in preparation for peacekeeping 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.