Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 32: To ask the Minister for Defence if members of the Defence forces are involved in training for EU Battle Groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38182/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 60: To ask the Minister for Defence the extent to which Ireland's participation in EU battle groups has progressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38181/06]

Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 70: To ask the Minister for Defence the progress in Ireland joining the Nordic EU Battle group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38110/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 232: To ask the Minister for Defence if he has received indications from his EU colleagues in regard to the future participation of Irish troops in EU battle groups or rapid response forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38438/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 233: To ask the Minister for Defence the extent to which members of the Army, Navy or Air Corp have participated in training along with other EU forces in preparation for participation in rapid response forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38439/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 234: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of Irish troops expected to participate in EU battle groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38440/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 32, 60, 70, 232 to 234, inclusive, together.

On 24 January 2006, the Government, in an informal decision, agreed that the Minister for Defence could enter into discussions with Sweden and other like-minded nations in relation to Ireland's contribution to EU Battle groups. Representatives from the Departments of Defence and Foreign Affairs and the Defence Forces have met with their Swedish counterparts on a number of occasions to discuss possible participation by the Defence Forces in the Nordic Battle group. Following discussions with Sweden, which is the framework nation for the Nordic Battle group, Sweden on behalf of the Nordic Battle group advised that it will welcome a contribution from Ireland, subject to Ireland's agreement to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Nordic Battle group, without amendment. The MoU is an agreement between the participants comprising the Nordic Battle group, namely Sweden, Norway, Finland and Estonia, which sets out principles in relation the operation, deployment and management of the Nordic Battle group.

At the Government meeting of 14 November, approval was given to provide a contingent of the Permanent Defence Forces to participate in the Nordic Battle group and for the Minister for Foreign Affairs to sign the MoU for the Nordic Battle group, subject to the approval of Dáil Éireann.

The proposed Defence Forces contribution will involve an EOD/IEDD contingent with its own security detail, together with staff posts at the Operational and Force headquarters. (EOD/IEDD means Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Improvised Explosive Device Disposal. EOD relates to normal type munitions whereas IEDD generally refers to devices devised by terrorist groups, such as car bombs etc.) The total number of Defence Forces personnel involved is expected to be somewhere between 80 and 100. This level of commitment will only arise should the Battle group be called on to undertake an operation. The number of personnel involved operationally during the standby period, where the Battle group has not been mobilised to undertake an operation, will be of the order of 10 personnel. Any contribution to a Battle group will be met within the context of the overall ceiling of 850 personnel serving overseas at any one time set in the White Paper on Defence and will have no adverse impact on our existing peace support operations.

Most Battle group 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 Battle group elements will be required. It is planned that joint training of the Nordic Battle group elements, including field manoeuvres, will take place in Sweden in September/October 2007 for a period of approximately 3 to 4 weeks. Sweden, on behalf of the other participating States, has accepted that there will be no joint training exercises in Ireland.

Irrespective of our participation in the Nordic Battle group in 2008, possible participation in future Battle groups with other EU partners is also under active consideration. In this regard, it is proposed to have further discussions with other member States over the coming months, in particular, with Finland and Austria with whom we have had some initial informal exploratory discussions.