EU battlegroup may have 100 Irish personnel

A controversial memorandum of understanding which would allow Ireland to participate in an EU battlegroup would involve up to…

A controversial memorandum of understanding which would allow Ireland to participate in an EU battlegroup would involve up to 100 Irish Defence Forces personnel if called into action.

About 15 of these will be on standby in the UK and Sweden, the Minister for Defence told an Oireachtas committee yesterday.

In a presentation to the Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights, Willie O'Dea said the estimated cost of maintaining the troops on standby was €450,000 a year, with a further €1.3 million for joint training and some €3 million if troops were deployed for 120 days over a six-month period.These costs would be met from existing resources.

The proposed memorandum of understanding, which would pave the way for Ireland's participation in the Nordic battlegroup - comprising Sweden, Finland, Norway and Estonia - led to heated exchanges in the Dáil last week where it was claimed that the move was a "further nail in the coffin of Irish neutrality".

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Yesterday's meeting also heard that Fine Gael was opposed to the "triplelock" whereby the UN, the Government and the Dáil must approve Irish involvement in international military actions. However, the Labour Party, its prospective partner in an alternative government, said it supported the concept.

Mr O'Dea yesterday claimed that the creation of EU battlegroups was not linked to the concept of a possible EU common defence.

"The purpose of battlegroups is, very simply, to enable the Union to be more effective in contributing to international peace and security in support of the United Nations by putting in place a rapid-response capability.

"Any deployment of the Irish element of the battlegroup on an operational mission will, as always, be subject to the requirements of the triple lock."

Ireland's contribution to the battlegroup will focus on explosive ordnance disposal, and improvised explosive device disposal, such as terrorist car bombs. The group will be under the operational command of a lieutenant general in the Swedish defence forces.

Mr O'Dea said it was expected there would be four Irish personnel at an operational headquarters at Northwood in the UK, and a further 11 at the main headquarters in Sweden.