Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 59: To ask the Minister for Defence if Irish Defence Forces intending to participate in NATO's response force exercise in view of the fact that our Finnish partners in the EU Battlegroups intend to participate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38116/06]

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Defence the exercises the Irish Defence Forces will be participating in with NATO over the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38112/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 71 together.

Ireland does not contribute to the NATO Response Force and, as such, will not be participating in the related field exercises. Ireland does not participate in field exercises with NATO forces. However, as part of our participation in Partnership for Peace, on occasion, Ireland participates along with other partners in NATO organised desktop exercises. These exercises are designed to familiarise PfP participants with NATO standard operating procedures and practices and to improve overall interoperability among contributors to PfP-led peace support and crisis management operations. The Defence Forces are currently participating in Exercise Steadfast JAW, a combined joint task force desktop exercise which is taking place at the moment (9-22 November 2006). This exercise is designed to test and improve Headquarter capabilities to plan, prepare and establish command and control arrangements for the conduct of operations under a UN mandate. The Defence Forces also participate in Exercise Combined Endeavor, a yearly communication and information (CIS) interoperability exercise.

In relation to our participation in EU Battlegroups, it is planned that joint training of the Nordic Battlegroup elements, including field manoeuvres, will take place in Sweden in September/October 2007 for a period of approximately 3 to 4 weeks. No other joint training or field exercises by the Defence Forces, including field exercises outside of the Battlegroup participants is planned.