Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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88. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the input he or his officials will have with the EU Commission in their preparation of a joint declaration with NATO; his views on the increased use of the EU budget and EU structures for military use; if he will participate in any summit on EU defence called by the French Presidency of the European Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47146/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The EU and NATO have commenced work at institutional level on the development of the text of a new joint declaration. As the work plan agreed under a Joint Declaration seeks to advance institutional links between the EU and NATO, this Declaration will be agreed between the leaders of the two institutions, rather than individual EU Member States or individual NATO Allies.  

Ireland welcomes greater EU-NATO co-operation where it contributes to international peace and security and is focused on avoiding duplication of structures, systems and interoperability standards as this ensures better coherence and effectiveness on the ground in peace support and crisis management operations.  

The multi-annual financial framework (MFF) is the EU's long term budget. The 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework includes a separate heading dedicated to security and defence. While the European Union (EU) has previously financed action linked to security and defence, this is the first time that this policy area has been identified in this way in the EU budget structure.  

The European Defence Fund (EDF) which forms part of the MFF, is an instrument intended to foster competition and innovation in the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB). The final budget of just under €8 billion will be split between a research budget of €2.651 billion, and a capability budget of €5.302 billion. It should be noted that the EDF is an industrial sectoral programme, providing funding for research and capability development, which supports the European Defence and Industrial Technology Base in delivering capabilities for Common Security Defence Policy operations.  

The European Peace Facility (EPF) is a European Union off-budget financing mechanism of up to €5bn (€5.7bn in current prices), designed to finance a range of Common Security Defence Policy (CSDP) actions having military or defence implications for the period of the 2021 to 2027 MFF. Off-budget means that although financed by Member States contributions, the EPF does not form part of the overall EU budget. The EPF replaces and expands on the scope of the former Athena Mechanism, which funded the agreed common costs of CSDP operations, and the African Peace Facility which operated between 2004 and 2021.  

In relation to the proposed Summit on European Defence, the level at which it may take place - whether at the level of Heads of State and Government or Ministers for Defence - has yet to be determined.  Ireland remains ready and willing to engage on a constructive basis in the discussion in accordance with Ireland's key objectives for the EU's Common's Security and Defence Policy. Ireland always endeavours to participate in meetings in all Council formations in order to ensure that Ireland's position is articulated fully and that Ireland's influence on policy development is maximised.