Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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To ask the Minister for Defence the cost of the Irish Army participation in the EU Battle Groups; the cost allocated for training and participation if they are actually dispatched to take part in a war; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44912/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Ireland is currently participating in the Austro-German led Battlegroup, which will be on stand-by until 31 December 2012. In 2010, the then Government approved Ireland's participation in this Battlegroup. The other members of the Austro-German Battlegroup are Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Croatia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). Our contribution is a Reconnaissance Company together with staff posts at both the Operational and Force Headquarters amounting to approximately 175 personnel. During the stand-by period one officer has been deployed to the Battlegroup Headquarters in Ulm, Germany. This officer is engaged in training and planning activities. Ireland has previously participated in the Nordic Battlegroup in 2008 and 2011. The other members of the Nordic Battlegroup were Sweden, acting as Framework Nation, Finland, Norway, Estonia and Croatia (2011 only).

Any decision by Ireland to participate in a specific Battlegroup operation is subject to our national sovereign decision-making procedures - “Triple Lock”, i.e. UN mandate, Government and Dáil approval. The participation by the Defence Forces in EU Battlegroups increases its interoperability with forces from other Member States. The costs of equipment and additional training are marginal. The capabilities and the requisite high-end equipment in respect of Ireland's contributions to the Battlegroups already reside within the Defence Forces. No military equipment has been purchased specifically for EU Battlegroups. Training of the manoeuvre elements of the Austro-German Battlegroup took place in the contributing Member States - Irish troops were trained in Ireland. Unlike the Nordic Battlegroup, there were no joint field exercises or manoeuvre training with other elements in the Austro-German Battlegroup. Battlegroup training in Ireland is part and parcel of the overall programme of training for rapid deployment elements of the Defence Forces for overseas operations and, in the case of the current Battlegroup, comprises mainly the standard training of reconnaissance formations.

Under the Battlegroup Concept, Battlegroups are designed to be operational within 5-10 days of approval from the Council of the European Union and must be sustainable for at least 30 days which could be extended to 120 days, if resupplied. Based on previous deployments, the current estimated additional cost for a maximum 120 day Battlegroup deployment would be €10.7 million (excluding allowances and ammunition which are generally already provided for in the Defence Vote). This cost will only arise if the Battlegroup is actually deployed. There are no proposals under consideration at this time for the deployment of the Austro/German Battlegroup.