Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have only a small contingent in Kosovo, where we have reduced our numbers significantly in recent years. We are, however, still committed to that mission. Turning to Deputy Barrett's question, I am happy to provide a review of the missions we have undertaken in the past 15 or 20 years, the rationale for participating in those missions and the numbers of troops committed. Off the top of my head, the main missions in which we have participated were in Liberia, Chad, Ethiopia, the Golan Heights, Kosovo and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL.

We pulled most of our personnel out of the UNIFIL mission during 2008 to 2010 and committed ourselves to Chad. We returned in strength to the UNIFIL mission in 2011 to 2012. In 2013, we participated in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, UNDOF. We have been there since and Irish troops have returned to Camp Faouar in recent months. We keep all missions under constant review in respect of whether we can participate. I agree it is not ideal that we continue to stay in one mission area for a long time and we have participated in UNIFIL since the day that mission began. Personnel from the Defence Forces remained at UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura even after we pulled out our main body of troops. I will have compiled a review of all of our peacekeeping missions and will submit it to the committee as soon as possible.

It is correct to state this is about peacekeeping and peacemaking. As the Minister of State with special responsibility for defence, I respect and appreciate fully the work of the Defence Forces. I have been honoured to help Ireland's efforts to get a seat on the United Nations Security Council over the past year. Whenever representatives from other countries come here for bilateral meetings or round tables, they always refer to Ireland's participation in UN peacekeeping duties. A small country like Ireland is a tiny dot on the world map, but reports from representatives of other countries help us realise that the size of our footprint on that map is amazing. We keep all missions in which we participate under constant review, as well as new missions in which we might participate. It is important for our personnel that they are challenged in different missions in different areas. I do not suggest we will ever become complacent in participating in any mission but it is good to have a change. That was one reason we participated in the mission in Chad. I had the honour of visiting that mission as part of an Oireachtas trip when I was a member of the defence committee. Chad was then a basket case but the improved situation there now demonstrates the great difference peacekeeping and peacemaking can bring about. It will take some time to get that review completed but I will try to get it to the committee in the next four to six weeks or so.