Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The possible missions in which we can participate include crisis management, humanitarian missions and issues surrounding that. Before we actually participate in such a mission, it has to come under the triple lock. It will come back here for Deputy Ó Snodaigh, every other party and every other Member of this House to vote on. That is only right and proper. Deputy Wallace spoke about the two largest parties voting in favour of this. That is democracy. If he had a party of about 100 members who thought like himself, then we would be voting differently. That is the way it is. We have to respect the democracy of the Chamber and the people who participate in an election to return Members here.

People say that members of the Irish Defence Forces can train themselves. Members of the Defence Forces on the ground who are actually participating in UNSO, UNDOF and UNIFIL, whether in Mali or any other mission, will say that the experience they got from participating in the Nordic or German-led battlegroup or whatever was really beneficial as they were able to work with like-minded nations when they went out on UN peacekeeping duties.

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