Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 206: To ask the Minister for Defence if foreign armies can train here; if not, the reason for same; his plans to address this in view of Ireland's commitment to participate in the EU battlegroups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24181/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The Attorney General has advised that there is a constitutional impediment to training of foreign troops in Ireland. As such, there are no plans for training of foreign troops in Ireland. However, as we are not a framework nation, this should not be a problem.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 207: To ask the Minister for Defence if members of the Army, Navy or Air Corps are scheduled to engage in training exercises with EU or NATO forces in preparation for participation in EU emergency or battlegroups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24262/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Defence Forces personnel have for many years attended workshops, training courses, desktop exercises, seminars and other events overseas as part of their military training and will continue to do this. The Defence Forces have also attended training courses and workshops under PfP PARP, the purpose of which is to learn from best practice in other Defence Forces and includes improving the level of interoperability between forces in the context of Peace Support Operations and the Petersberg Tasks. While there are no plans for the involvement of Naval or Air Corps assets, individual members of the Naval Service or Air Corps may be deployed on overseas peace support operations as they have been in the past. Members of the Naval Service and Air Corps being deployed on overseas missions undergo the same training as any other personnel.

In relation to training for Battlegroups, most training will take place in the contributing member States, i.e. Irish troops will mainly be trained in Ireland. That said, some level of joint training with other Battlegroup participants will be an imperative. The extent of any such joint training and whether training will extend to exercising is a matter for decision by Battlegroup participants. No such training has taken place to date.

There are no plans to engage in general EU or NATO based field exercises and no basis or reason for such. The rationale for field exercises will be to improve interoperability among Battlegroup participants and, as such, I would expect that any field exercises will be for the Battlegroup participants alone.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 208: To ask the Minister for Defence the extent to which members of the Defence Forces are expected to be trained in the use of modern equipment in preparation for PfP involvement in Europe or elsewhere; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24263/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland's Presentation Document for participation in PfP was approved by Dáil Éireann on 9 November, 1999 and, following Dáil approval, Ireland joined PfP on 1 December, 1999. 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 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 Partnership for Peace (PfP) 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 (PfP) 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.

Ireland currently participates in 2 NATO/PfP-led peace support operations under UN authorisation, namely in Kosovo (KFOR) and Afghanistan (ISAF).