Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 107: To ask the Minister for Defence the extent to which agreement has been reached in relation to Ireland's participation in EU battlegroups of rapid response forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22198/07]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland is already committed to participate in the Nordic Battlegroup which will be on standby from the 1st January — 30th June 2008. On the 26th April 2007, I issued a letter of Accession to all participating members of the Battlegroup to join the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The Nordic Battlegroup Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is an agreement between the participants comprising the Nordic Battlegroup, namely Sweden, Norway, Finland and Estonia, which sets out principles in relation to the operation, deployment and management of the Nordic Battlegroup. The Operational Headquarters MoU defines the aim, principles and responsibilities for cooperation with regard to the establishment and operation of the EU OHQ in Northwood for the command and control of the Nordic Battlegroup.

As part of the initial familiarisation and training phase for the Nordic Battlegroup eleven (11) members of the Defence Forces are currently deployed to the Force Headquarters in Sweden and two (2) are currently deployed to the Operational Headquarters in the UK.

Our planned contribution to the Nordic Battlegroup will amount to 100 personnel involving an Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (E.O.D./I.E.D.D.) team with its own security detail, together with staff posts at the Operational and Force headquarters. E.O.D. relates to normal type munitions whereas I.E.D.D. generally refers to devices devised by terrorist groups, such as car bombs etc. This level of operational commitment will only arise should the Battlegroup be called on to undertake an operation. The number of personnel involved operationally during the standby period, where the Battlegroup has not been mobilised to undertake an operation, will be of the order of 10 to 12 personnel. The on-call personnel for the contingent will be based in Ireland during the Standby period.

Ireland is committed in principle to participation in the Nordic Battlegroup in 2011. Very preliminary discussions have also been held regarding possible participation in the proposed Austrian/German Battlegroup in 2012.