Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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132. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the annual cost associated with participation in the EU Defence Agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9949/18]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The European Defence Agency was set up in 2004 during Ireland’s Presidency of the EU and Ireland joined the Agency in July of that year. 

Ireland’s interaction and participation in the EDA means that we are afforded the opportunity of keeping track of best practice in modern technology in the development of capabilities which would assist our Defence Forces in their peacekeeping role. It provides access to research and information on developing and maintaining professional capabilities that we cannot self-generate for crisis management and international Peace Support Operations. It also allows us to keep abreast of best practice and new developments in the defence environment particularly as it impacts on multinational crisis management operations

The financial commitment to the operational budget of the European Defence Agency(EDA) is in accordance with EDA funding principles, based on Gross National Income (GNI) key.  The GNI key is calculated based on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of participating Member States.

In addition to Ireland's contribution to the operational budget, in 2017 Ireland contributed financially to three projects in the EDA: (1) Maritime Surveillance (MARSUR) II project (2) The EDA Counter Improvised Explosives Devices Manual Neutralisation Techniques project and (3) European Centre for Manual Neutralisation Capabilities (ECMAN).

Contributions to EDA 2017.