Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 171: To ask the Minister for Defence if he expects the Naval Service to participate in EU missions associated with proposed battlegroups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7587/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Naval Service assets are not offered as part of Ireland's commitment under the United Nations standby arrangements system, nor are they offered as part of our headline goal commitments. There are no plans for the involvement of Naval Service assets in overseas missions, although individual members of the Naval Service may be deployed on overseas peace support operations, as they have been in the past. Moreover, any commitment to a battlegroup will be met within the context of the overall ceiling of 850 personnel serving overseas at any one time as set out in the White Paper on Defence.