Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is tedious when it is constantly raised. There is ample information available on the purpose of the battlegroups. They have not been engaged but they are there as a stand-by. I agree with Deputy McGrath that I could think of something better to call them than battlegroups, but that is the term we have inherited. They are not about to declare war on anybody or invade any country; nor are we. Waving the flag of neutrality is artificial in the context of the purpose of battlegroups.

I revert to the matter before the committee, which is UN peacekeeping missions. I thank the committee for its support for the engagement of the Defence Forces overseas, which is very important and provides an outlet for the substantial training members receive. It facilitates career ambition and ensures that members of the Defence Forces get the opportunity to use the skills they acquire in training in a positive way in troubled parts of the world to protect lives. Deputy Moynihan is right to mention the families of members of the Defence Forces, particularly at Christmas. It is hard on wives, children and parents whose loved ones are abroad not to see them at Christmas time. It is part and parcel of service in the Defence Forces, whose members look forward to serving their country and the United Nations abroad and making a positive contribution.

Deputy Corcoran Kennedy asked about the types of project the Defence Forces carries out on humanitarian assistance missions overseas. Our Defence Forces are particularly effective at forming good relationships with local communities. Southern Lebanon is an example. Defence Forces members do a great deal more than some other peacekeeping forces internationally in this context, particularly in those towns adjacent to headquarters. It contributes to good relationships, keeps tensions down and ensures they are welcome in the areas in which they are deployed, as opposed to being seen as a hostile foreign force. In Lebanon our long track record means the local community is very supportive of Irish troops.

Being engaged with and supporting local community activities is very important. This was demonstrated in the past in Lebanon in practical ways, for example through the provision of medical clinics and other services to the local population. They undertook various other humanitarian tasks. Members of the Defence Forces have very effectively taught English in local primary schools and formed relationships with children, parents and teachers in those schools. The Defence Forces recently identified two projects as suitable collaborative humanitarian aid projects between the Defence Forces serving with UNIFIL and Irish Aid. There is a vegetable drying machine project for a women's agricultural co-operative in Bint Jubayl and a mapping project to assist a Lebanese association for literacy in Tibnin. Irish Aid has given funding to both projects and in the past year it has also funded two projects which were supported by the Defence Forces: the installation of solar-powered street lighting in Ayn Abil and the erection of a fence around the water hole in Bayt Yahun. There are various engagements - some small, some more prolonged - in which the Defence Forces engage which contribute to building good relationships with local communities. They are something to be encouraged. When I last visited Southern Lebanon I visited the local school where members of the Defence Forces were engaged and were coming towards the end of their term. There was sadness at losing the members, who were contributing positively to the children. It is a very useful and valuable type of engagement and creates a perspective in which our soldiers, men and women, are contributing to the community and not just keeping an eye on them for peacekeeping purposes.

Deputy Finian McGrath referred to my comment that things are reasonably quiet in Southern Lebanon. I hope that continues to be the case. The important point to remember is that under the surface there are tensions in that region in the context of Hizbollah and the Israelis, but there has been a period of relative peace and calm. No one can predict at what moment some form of hostility will break out. The hope is that this will not be the case. So far, southern Lebanon, where our troops are placed, has been largely unaffected by the chaos in Syria, which has affected other parts of Lebanon. There is continuing concern about the horrendous conflict in Syria, which does not appear to be coming to an end. Efforts by the UN to mediate some calm or a period of peace, or to seek to stimulate discussion to bring about a peaceful change of regime, have not so far proved fruitful. It remains a concern that events there could spill over into Lebanon or may influence other actors in Lebanon to distract international attention from what is happening in Syria. It is estimated that more than 40,000 people have lost their lives in Syria. The Assad regime has killed civilians. Others have also died at the hands of those opposing Assad and those engaged in civil war. The number of deaths is beyond anything that is acceptable and a political resolution of that conflict is needed. It seems that President Assad and those around him are intent on seeking to retain power in Syria and those opposed are intent on trying to remove him. For as long as Syria is completely destabilised by the current civil war, one cannot be sanguine about any part of that region. There is obviously a particular need to remain vigilant in southern Lebanon. It is unlikely that difficulties will arise in the context of the Syrian conflict. If some conflict were to occur involving Hizbollah and the Israelis as a diversion from the Syrian conflict, it would have occurred by now. There was a concern that this would happen, but it does not seem to have. Despite their country's difficulties, the different parties and communities in Lebanon are trying to ensure that a degree of peace and stability is retained. There was always the danger that the Syrian conflict could have a serious impact on Lebanon. While some of the political commentary suggested that would happen, we have not so far seen the types of difficulty in Lebanon that have occurred in the past.

Deputy McGrath mentioned the two-state solution. I do not wish to turn this into a committee on foreign affairs, but it remains the objective of the Government and of the European Union to bring about a two-state solution in the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. A whole range of things make that extremely difficult, including the reality that two entirely different regimes operate on the Palestinian side - one in Gaza and one in the West Bank - which do not talk coherently to one another. They continue trying to unify but it does not work. There is a great irony in the fact that the Tánaiste could visit Gaza but the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, cannot visit Gaza because his life would be at risk. There are many complex strands that render achieving a two-state solution extremely difficult. On occasion we unduly simplify those strands in our dialogue here. As a country that had to work its way through a relatively complex peace process it could be very helpful if we recognised that the difficulties in that region are a great deal more complex than the ones we had to address.

I believe I have dealt with all the issues raised. I look forward to visiting the troops in southern Lebanon again. I intend to do so around the St. Patrick's Day holiday and I will make a point of conveying to them the full support of this committee and the Oireachtas for their important work in UNIFIL.