Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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204. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if Ireland will reaffirm the commitment to working with the UK on defence issues after Brexit, as was previously agreed in 2015 with the memorandum of understanding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29863/20]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2015 relates to defence cooperation between Ireland and UK. The MoU provides a framework for developing and furthering bilateral co-operation and relations between the two states in the area of security and defence capacity, building on existing cooperation and seeking to identify new areas of cooperation with mutual benefits. It is a voluntary, non-binding arrangement and does not impact on Ireland's traditional policy of military neutrality.

It is important that we maintain and develop the positive progress that has taken place so far. Any bilateral Ireland/UK cooperation on areas of mutual interest and concern in the defence and armed forces domain will remain in place post-Brexit and the MoU will continue to facilitate cooperation between Ireland and the UK in the agreed areas into the future.

Areas covered by the MoU include exercises, training activities, exchange of information, knowledge and experience, shared threat analysis, staff to staff talks both civil and military and joint operations and capacity building in support of international peace and security.

Supplementary written arrangements in the form of MOUs, Technical Arrangements etc. may be concluded between Ireland and the UK for the purpose of implementing this cooperation. To this end, a Memorandum of Understanding concerning the sharing of and protection of Defence classified information was concluded between Ireland and the UK in 2019.