Triple lock restrictions limit Irish battle group contribution

IRELAND’S contribution to EU peace-keeping rapid-reaction battle groups will have to be understudied because of the triple lock in which each mission has to be sanctioned first by the UN and then agreed to by both the government and the Dáil.

Up to 100 Irish troops will be part of the Swedish-led battle group according to the Department of Defence. So far 12 groups of 1,500 military have been agreed, with two on stand-by for six months at a time and ready to respond to problems immediately.

Ireland has put forward between 70 to 100 troops to do the job of bomb disposal in the Swedish group that includes 190 Finns, 190 Norwegians and 45 Estonians. But the Irish were not included in the official list at yesterday’s defence ministers’ meeting in Brussels.