IRISH SOLDIERS are to take part in an Austro-German EU crisis-management battlegroup for the second half of this year, starting on July 1st.
A total of 175 personnel are involved and they will be on standby at Cathal Brugha Barracks in Dublin.
A motion is to be placed before the Dáil shortly to approve a memorandum of understanding regarding Ireland’s participation.
This is an agreement between Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Croatia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, which sets out principles in relation to the operation, deployment and management of the battlegroup.
Minister for Defence Alan Shatter told a Dáil committee yesterday that Ireland had a “long-standing tradition” of United Nations peacekeeping and our participation in EU battlegroups was a continuation of that.
He told the Justice, Defence and Equality Committee that the battlegroups were established to undertake operations known as the Petersberg Tasks, including humanitarian and rescue missions, peacekeeping, and crisis management, including peacemaking.
The committee elected Wicklow Labour TD Anne Ferris as vice-chairwoman.
“This committee is an important forum for Oireachtas members to provide a meaningful input into a number of very important policy and legislative areas,” Ms Ferris said.
