Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Defence the reason Ireland is spending €632,000 of taxpayers’ money on an E.U. military training mission in Mali; if this is a breach of our neutrality status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15352/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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United Nations Security Council Resolution 2071 (2012) calls on the EU to provide assistance, expertise, training and capacity-building support to the Armed and Security Forces of Mali in order to restore the authority of the State of Mali over its entire national territory. In this context, the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union established a military mission, EUTM Mali, which will provide military training and advice to the Malian Armed Forces. On 26 February 2013 the Government decided to deploy approximately eight members of the Permanent Defence Force for service with the EU Training Mission in Mali (EUTM Mali), as part of a joint infantry training team with the United Kingdom Armed Forces, to provide military training and advice to the Malian Armed Forces. The objective of the mission will be to improve the capacity of the Malian Armed Forces to maintain security in Mali and restore the authority of the Malian Government and the territorial integrity of the Malian State. Alongside standard infantry training, training will also be provided in international humanitarian law, the protection of civilians and human rights.

All EU Member States, irrespective of participation, are obliged to contribute to the common costs of the mission, unless they specifically opt out of doing so at Council. All troop contributors to the new mission will be responsible for their own costs. The estimated cost to the Defence Vote of deploying and sustaining eight personnel with EUTM Mali will amount to approximately €632,000 for the duration of the mission’s mandate of 15 months. This figure includes Ireland’s contribution of €120,000 to the common costs of the mission.

The EU Training Mission is being deployed under UN Security Council Resolution 2071, in a country which is deeply divided along ethnic lines, to assist in building an army which is able and ready and to defend all the people of Mali, regardless of origin and identity. The training mission in an integral part of the EU’s comprehensive approach to Mali and the Sahel region of Africa which includes humanitarian support, development assistance and supports to the UN backed African force, AFISMA, in Mali.