Written answers

Tuesday, 1 December 2020

Department of Defence

Permanent Structured Co-operation

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

361. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will report on the permanent structured co-operation, PESCO, projects in which Ireland has observer status; his plans to participate in further PESCO projects; the criteria that will be used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40401/20]

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

366. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if Ireland will be submitting permanent structured co-operation, PESCO, project proposals with an operational focus in order to facilitate joint deployment in the field; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40406/20]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 361 and 366 together.

Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) is a process under which groups of Member States can come together to develop capabilities in support of Common CSDP Operations. On a voluntary basis, 25 EU Member States, including Ireland, have joined PESCO and subscribed to more binding commitments to invest, plan, develop and operate defence capabilities together within this EU framework.

The objective of PESCO is to generate coherent defence capabilities which will be available to Member States for national and multinational (EU, NATO, UN, etc.) missions and operations. This will enhance the EU’s capacity as an international security actor, to contribute to the protection of EU citizens, support international peace and security and maximise the effectiveness of defence spending by participating member States.

Forty seven PESCO projects have been launched to-date. These include projects in the areas of capability development and in the operational dimension. Each project is managed by the participating member States with oversight from the Council.

Ireland's participation in PESCO was agreed by Government and approved by Dáil Éireann prior to the Council Decision establishing PESCO on 11 December 2017. Ireland has Observer status on nine PESCO projects – (1) Deployable Military Disaster Relief Capability Package; (2) Maritime (semi) Autonomous Systems for Mine Countermeasures; (3) Cyber Threats and Incident Response Information Sharing Platform; (4) European Secure Software Defined Radio; (5) Military Mobility; (6) Energy Operational Function; (7) EU Radio Navigation Solution; (8) Counter Unmanned Aerial System; (9) Special Operations Forces Medical Training Centre.

As an observer, the Defence Forces get the opportunity to assess the project’s objectives and what value the project would bring to Defence Forces capabilities. There is ongoing assessment of the feedback from theses project meetings by my Department and the Defence Forces. Should there be merit in participating in any of these projects, that will be then be progressed in association with the project participants.

The next call for new PESCO Proposals will be launched by the PESCO Secretariat in March 2021 with a deadline of submission of proposals by the end of June 2021. While there are no plans currently for Ireland to submit PESCO project proposals with a specific operational focus, my Department and the Defence Forces will assess the proposed projects that Member States submit and will also keep under review any potential for Ireland to submit a project proposal.

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

362. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the meaning of deployable and interoperable forces that can be used by participating member states within the EU framework for national needs relating to PESCO; if German and other troops could be used in Ireland in the event of civil disturbance, strikes and so on and would be under EU control; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40402/20]

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

365. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the position on the commitment to explore the possibility of common strategic planning, training and exercises of member states' armed forces, built on and supported by existing EU military tools, for example, the EU battle groups, and also other multinational structures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40405/20]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 362 and 365 together.

Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) is a process under which groups of Member States can come together to develop capabilities in support of Common CSDP Operations. On a voluntary basis, 25 EU Member States have joined PESCO and subscribed to more binding commitments to invest, plan, develop and operate defence capabilities together within this EU framework.

Ireland's participation in PESCO was agreed by Government and approved by Dáil Éireann prior to the Council Decision establishing PESCO on 11 December 2017.

The objective of PESCO is to generate coherent defence capabilities which will be available to Member States including for deployment on multinational (EU, NATO, UN, etc.) missions and operations. For many of these missions, EU countries deploy alongside other EU countries and developing standardised or common capabilities improves the interoperability of these Forces. This will enhance the EU’s capacity as an international security actor, to contribute to the protection of EU citizens, support international peace and security and maximise the effectiveness of defence spending by participating Member States.

Commitments were made by participating Member States with regard to both deployability (for the realisation of the EU Level of Ambition under the EU Global Strategy) and interoperability (in terms of common technical and operational standards).

In order to further enhance the availability, readiness and interoperability of the EU member States military personnel, deployable on international crisis management or humanitarian operations, it has been recommended in the PESCO Strategic Review 2020 that participating Member States should explore “the possibility of common strategic planning, training and exercises of Member States' armed forces.”

This is not a commitment, but rather guidance which has been provided with the aim of aiding the fulfilment of the binding commitments undertaken by participating Member States in the context of PESCO by 2025 and in support of CSDP and the EU Global Strategy. In engaging with EU Battlegroup preparations, Member States already work together in areas of strategic planning, training and exercises. Indeed, Ireland has participated in planning and in desktop and field exercises in respect of a number of Battlegroups in which we have participated, alongside other Battlegroup participant forces. Participation in planning and exercises is an essential pre-deployment enabler for the Defence Forces in terms of their peace keeping operations. As such, there is no issue with the proposal in that this guidance simply seeks to encourage consideration of the current cooperation within the Battlegroup framework, being expanded on a broader scale.

As per Article 15 of the Constitution of Ireland, the right to raise and maintain military or armed forces is vested exclusively in the Oireachtas. No military or armed force, other than a military or armed force raised and maintained by the Oireachtas, shall be raised or maintained for any purpose whatsoever. This therefore prohibits foreign forces under foreign command operating in Ireland in any guise.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.