Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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190. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the cost to date, including off-budget costs, of Ireland’s participation in PESCO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24963/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland joined the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) in 2017, the establishment of which represents a further development in EU Cooperation in support of international peace and security under CSDP. Under PESCO, Member States come together in different project groups to develop and make available additional capabilities and enablers for peacekeeping and crisis management operations.

As of 18th May 2023, Ireland is participating in four PESCO projects and has Observer status on 19. The four projects in which we are participating are - (1) Upgrade of Maritime Surveillance; (2) Cyber Threats and Incident Response Information Sharing Platform; (3) Maritime (semi) Autonomous Systems for Mine Countermeasures and (4) Deployable Military Disaster Relief Capability Package.

The 19 projects on which we are Observing are – (1) Counter Unmanned Aerial System; (2) Energy Operational Function; (3) EU Military Partnership; (4) EU Radionavigation Solution; (5) European Secure Software Defined Radio; (6) European Union Network of Diving Centres; (7) Future Medium-size Tactical Cargo; (8) Harbour and Maritime Surveillance and Protection; (9) Military Mobility and (10) SOF Medical Training Centre; (11) EUFOR Crisis Response Operation Core; (12) European MALE RPAS; (13) Cyber and Information Domain Coordination Center; (14) Common Hub for Governmental Imagery; (15) Strategic C2 System for CSDP Missions and Operations; (16) Next Generation Small RPAS; (17) Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle Amphibious Assault Vehicle Light Armoured Vehicle; (18) European Patrol Corvette and (19) EU Cyber Academia and Innovation Hub.

Since joining PESCO in 2017, the only costs of our engagement have been those associated with travel to and attendance at PESCO project planning meetings by Defence Forces' Subject Matter Experts. These costs would not be extractable from the overall Defence Forces expenditure on overseas travel that covers travel for training, attendance at conferences etc.