Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

46. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the contacts he and his Department have had with the EU institutions and also with other EU member states in the past six months; the nature of their discussions on defence matters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43811/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

There is significant ongoing engagement by Ireland with the EU Institutions and with other EU member States on the important area of security and defence. These meetings take place both bilaterally, and within the institutional framework of the European External Action Service, the EU Military Committee and the European Defence Agency.

My officials participate in all meetings of the Political and Security Committee (PSC), the Political-Military Group (PMG) as well as other relevant Council preparatory bodies. My officials also participate in the European Defence Agency (EDA) meetings. Ireland is represented on the European Union Military Committee (EUMC) composed of the (CHODs) of the Member States who, on a day to day basis, are represented in Brussels by the from the Permanent Representations of the member States.

Senior officials from my Department participate in meetings with their counterparts from other member States in Brussels, along with bilateral meetings in Brussels and at capital. These include, the regular meetings of the Defence Policy Directors from the member States and senior level meetings within the framework of the EDA.

As the Deputy will appreciate, the formal and informal meetings of Ministers at EU level, which I attend, provide a significant opportunity to engage bilaterally with Defence Ministers from other member States on issues of concern to Ireland, both within the scope of the Ministerial but also more broadly. When attending European Council meetings, I also avail of the opportunity to engage in informal bilateral discussions with my EU counterparts en-marge of the meetings which is an important aspect of Ministerial attendance. At these meetings, I have raised Ireland’s key considerations in the area of security and defence, as and when the opportunity arises. This also includes the issue of Brexit where I have emphasised Ireland’s concerns in order to ensure that these are fully reflected in the EU position during ongoing negotiations.

The main discussions at EU level on Defence over the last six months have centred on implementation of actions envisaged under the EU Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy. The Global Strategy provides the EU with a guiding framework for external action under the Common Foreign and Security Policy. We have also discussed current EU operations, capability development and key security and defence challenges, along with Commission initiatives on the European defence industrial and technology sector, and the establishment of the European Defence Fund.