About 100 members of the Defence Forces are on stand-by for six months from today to participate in a new European Union battlegroup, which can be deployed at five days' notice to trouble spots around the world.
Most of the Irish troops are from the Western Brigade based in Athlone and are providing a bomb disposal and mine clearance unit to the 2,600 strong Nordic battlegroup.
The majority of the soldiers are from Sweden with some from Estonia, Norway and Finland.
The battlegroup concept has been developed over the past few years to enable Europe to respond at short notice to disasters and emergencies.
The Irish contingent has undergone extensive training over the last nine months. In November, they took part in exercises within the Artic Circle in Sweden.
The Minister for Defence, Willie O'Dea, has said that the battlegroup might not be deployed at all.
It is Ireland's first involvement in a battlegroup and it is likely to be 2011 before the Defence Forces will be asked to take part again.
A second EU battlegroup, led by Spain, is also on standby until June.
Meanwhile, no date has yet been set for the deployment of 400 Irish peacekeepers to Chad in Central Africa, which has been delayed because of the shortage of helicopters and medical support.
