Irish troops will participate in peace-enforcing EU battlegroups in flashpoints around the world under a new Defence Forces operations programme unveiled yesterday by Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea.
The decision follows months of negotiations between the Government and Attorney General regarding legislation needed to provide for the initiative.
Under the plans Irish troops will be deployed as part of EU rapid-reaction forces to prevent a recurrence of atrocities such as the Rwandan genocide.
Sweden is regarded by Dublin as the most suitable battlegroup partner because of its neutral status. The current pairing of troops from both nations in the UNMIL mission in Liberia has proved highly successful.
Mr O'Dea rejected suggestions that Irish neutrality was being compromised. He said the new plans in no way contravened the current constitutional prohibition on engaging in common defence. The "triple-lock" sanction for overseas deployment would still apply.
"We will participate in each [ battlegroup] operation on a case-by-case basis. It will be subject to agreement by the Government, agreement by the Dáil and it will have to be sanctioned by the United Nations," he said.
The UN had urged EU member states to participate. Ireland was the 23rd of the 25 member states to agree to take part. We could not "sit back" and watch other countries take responsibility for preventing atrocities, Mr O'Dea said
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern echoed Mr O'Dea's comments, saying in Sligo: "This is not in any way an act of aggression that would affect our neutrality."
Under the new plans Irish soldiers will join troops from other EU states in forming a 1,500-strong battlegroup. Ireland would most likely provide small numbers of specialists, such as bomb-disposal experts, in the short term. The maximum number would reach 200 in the period to 2010. These will be deployed at short notice to quell serious unrest in an effort by the EU to avert major atrocities.
Our long-term commitment to the battlegroups would be determined within the confines of having no more than 850 troops overseas at any one time, Mr O'Dea said.
Irish troops have already participated in peace-enforcing missions. However, under the battlegroup concept they would be deployed more quickly.
They will enter troubled countries while serious unrest is still taking place.
They will help secure the peace, allowing for the subsequent deployment of long-term UN peacekeeping missions.
Mr O'Dea said the battlegroups would be used in "stabilising a situation, at least until the larger cavalry arrives further down the road".
New legislation is to be enacted before the summer recess to allow Irish troops to train abroad. This will enable Irish troops to train with soldiers from battlegroup partner states ahead of deployment to trouble-spots.
Officials from the Department of Defence will immediately open negotiations with Sweden and other Scandinavian states to find suitable battlegroup partners.
The Defence Forces are also set to take a much more proactive role in responding to natural disasters, such as the earthquake in Pakistan or the tsunami.
Mr O'Dea has indicated he plans to amend legislation so that soldiers can be deployed to help in such disasters. Currently the Defence Forces depend on soldiers volunteering for such operations.
