Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 151: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the preparations being made to enable Ireland's participation in EU battlegroups; if he will report on the latest discussions at EU level on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18700/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Battlegroup concept is designed to provide the European Union with the capacity to respond rapidly to emerging crisis situations, within the overall context of the European Union's security and defence policy.

Battlegroups are designed to participate in time-limited missions of 30 days, extendable to a maximum of 120 days, by which time the operation would have concluded, or the Battlegroup been replaced by a larger force. Two Battlegroups have been on standby continuously since January of this year. Developments in relation to Battlegroups are reviewed regularly within the European Union, most recently by Defence Ministers on 14 May. Ireland's participation in the Nordic Battlegroup, which is scheduled to be on standby for the first six months of 2008, was approved by Dáil Éireann on 5 April this year, following earlier consideration by the Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights.

Following Dáil approval, the Minister for Defence exchanged letters with his counterparts in Sweden, as Framework nation, and Norway, Finland and Estonia, notifying them of Ireland's acceptance of the Memorandum of Understanding governing participation in the Battlegroup. He also exchanged letters with the participants and the UK in relation to the use of the Northwood facility in England as Operational Headquarters for the Battlegroup.

Ireland has offered a contingent of up to 100 members of the Defence Forces to the Nordic Battlegroup. The contingent comprises specialists in Explosive Ordnance and Improvised Explosive Device disposal, together with a protection detail. Ireland will also take up a number of posts in both the Force and Operational Headquarters. One officer has deployed to the Force Headquarters in Sweden where he is engaged in preplanning and training for the standby period.

Regular contact takes place between respective militaries, Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs on issues arising in relation to the Battlegroup. In May, the Minister for Defence, with his Nordic counterparts, took part in Sweden in an exercise designed to explore the political and policy decision-making procedures in the participating member States. Military training exercises involving all the participants in the Nordic Battlegroup are scheduled to take place in Sweden in the autumn.

It should be stressed that any deployment of the Battlegroup would be the result of a unanimous decision of the Council of the European Union. Furthermore, any deployment of the Irish contingent of the Nordic Battlegroup would of course be subject to the requirements of the 'triple-lock' of Government decision. should be stressed that any deployment of the Battlegroup would be the result of a unanimous decision of the Council of the European Union. Furthermore, any deployment of the Irish contingent of the Nordic Battlegroup would of course be subject to the requirements of the 'triple-lock' of Government decision, Dáil approval, and UN authorisation.