David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Apologies have been received from Deputy Ann Ferris.

The meeting has been convened to consider a motion regarding the proposal that Dáil Éireann approve the report by the Minister for Defence on service by the Defence Forces with the United Nations in 2011, copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 5 March in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Defence (Amendment) Act 2006. I welcome the Minister, Deputy Alan Shatter, and his official.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I am pleased to report to the select committee on the Defence Forces' participation in UN missions in 2011. The report for 2011 was laid before Dáil Éireann on 5 March 2012 and the following motion has been placed on the Order Paper of Dáil Éireann:

That Dáil Éireann approves the Report by the Minister for Defence regarding service by the Defence Forces with the United Nations in 2011, copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 5 March in accordance with section 13 of the Defence (Amendment) Act 2006.

Notwithstanding our current economic difficulties, Ireland willingly continues to play a full role in contributing to the security of Europe and the world, providing professional peacekeepers for a range of missions throughout the world. During 2011 the Defence Forces continued to make a major contribution to international peacekeeping through their participation in UN-led and UN authorised missions. Personnel were deployed on 12 missions throughout the world in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Our main mission in the year under review was the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL. At the request of the United Nations and following approval by Dáil Éireann, a contingent of the Permanent Defence Force, comprising some 435 personnel, was deployed to UNIFIL in mid-2011. The deployment to UNIFIL was Ireland's largest deployment overseas since the withdrawal of the Irish contingent from the MINURCAT mission in Chad in May 2010. Reflecting the high regard in which Irish peacekeepers are held, Brigadier General Patrick Phelan took up the appointment of Deputy Force Commander of UNIFIL for an initial period of one year in April 2012. In June 2012, the Irish contingent was downsized to some 360 personnel following the deployment of some 170 personnel of the Finnish armed forces to UNIFIL and the formation of a joint Irish-Finnish battalion. Partnership with other like-minded states has become an increasing element of our overseas peacekeeping operations. I would like again to thank the Government and armed forces of Finland for participating in this mission with Ireland. In the absence of partners such as Finland, the range and nature of overseas operations Ireland could undertake in support of international peace and security would be significantly curtailed. Such joint deployments further support interoperability, build experience and further deepen the excellent bilateral relationship between our countries.

The UN has stated that UNIFIL plays a vital role in stabilising southern Lebanon and particularly the area adjacent to Israel where Irish and Finnish troops are deployed. South Lebanon has witnessed a period of unprecedented calm, thanks to the work of the mission as well as the excellent peacekeeping partnership between the Lebanese armed forces and UNIFIL, which are critical to maintaining stability in the area at a time of heightened tensions in the region.

Ireland is currently contributing 438 Defence Forces personnel to 11 different missions throughout the world. Also, around 150 additional personnel have been on stand-by for rapid deployment as our contribution to the German-Czech-Austrian battlegroup for the past six months and are due to be stood down at the end of this month. This is a significant contribution in the context of the reduced resources available for defence and reflects the Government's continued commitment to international peacekeeping and to the ongoing development of the Defence Forces. Relative to our size and our available resources and capabilities, both financial and military, Ireland is proportionately a very large peacekeeping contributor within the international community.

It is important for Ireland to continue to build on our long tradition of service to the founding principles of the UN by making practical commitments of personnel to peace support operations. I assure the committee that, notwithstanding the economic challenges we are facing, the Government is committed to ensuring that the Defence Forces continue to contribute in a meaningful way to overseas operations. However, our contributions will be practical and sustainable within the resources available for defence. The Government and I place high importance on the valuable work being done by members of the Defence Forces throughout the world. I fully recognise the importance of operational experience in peace support operations for the ongoing development of the Defence Forces. Indeed, I had the honour to see at first hand the dedication and professionalism of our military personnel serving overseas when I visited the Irish battalion serving with UNIFIL in October 2011. I look forward to paying a return visit to our troops in Lebanon over the coming months.

A key facet of Ireland's approach to international peace support operations is the engagement of Defence Forces personnel at all levels with the local communities they are called on to serve. Irish troops serving overseas not only display their professional commitment in fulfilling the UN mandate but also support and encourage local communities through humanitarian and community projects. In Lebanon, previous Irish battalions have completed a number of projects over the years with financial help from Irish Aid. I am delighted to see that recent battalions have continued this excellent tradition.

Our involvement in peace support missions has greatly enhanced the professional capacity and capability of the Defence Forces. This has, in turn, increased our value to the UN. The appointment of Irish officers such as Lieutenant General Pat Nash as Operation Commander for EUFOR Tchad/RCA, Brigadier General Gerald Aherne as Deputy Force Commander of MINURCAT, Brigadier General Patrick Phelan as Deputy Force Commander of UNIFIL and Colonel Michael Beary as Mission Commander of the EU mission for the training of Somali security forces is another indication of the high regard in which Irish personnel are held internationally.

In conclusion, I acknowledge the huge demands placed on personnel who serve overseas and on their families. Without their loyal and continuing support, Ireland's strong tradition of service overseas under the auspices of the UN would not be possible. Their committed and dedicated service in overseas missions reflects well not only on the Defence Forces but on the nation as a whole and contributes to the excellent reputation in which Ireland is held among peacekeepers throughout the world. We should all be conscious, in the context of the number of Defence Forces personnel we have across the world, that while some of us will be enjoying our Christmas dinners, they will still effectively be on duty in some of the more troubled parts of the world, serving the cause of peacekeeping and peace enforcement and continuing to enhance the reputation not only of the Defence Forces but of this State, as well as our commitment to and involvement in UN missions.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister. Does anyone wish to make a contribution?

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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I particularly appreciate the Minister's acknowledgement of our Defence Forces members who will be serving overseas at Christmas away from their families. We are immensely proud of the contribution our Defence Forces have made in UN peacekeeping operations over the years. The fit of the Finnish defence forces with our own is particularly welcome. Finland has the same policy of neutrality as Ireland, as the Chairman mentioned during a recent visit by this committee to Finland. That fit is a good model for Ireland to proceed with.

The Minister knows that Sinn Féin has concerns. Although this meeting concerns the UN, I wish to raise the issue of the EU battlegroups and the sense that our proud policy of neutrality, which puts us in a position to be peacekeepers under the UN banner and play a role in conflict resolution as a neutral state that was colonised, has endured hardships and can understand the experiences of peoples we might be trying to assist, could be undermined by our being seen to be more closely allied with NATO. Obviously, the use of Shannon Airport from 2003 was also very disappointing. We have had this discussion before. I understand that for practical purposes the Minister is not going to walk into a meeting as Minister for justice, equality and defence but rather as Minister for Defence. He has to reiterate that and have it branded on his head in every discussion he has. Our armed forces are something of which Irish people are proud and put us in a position of strength to play a constructive role. What the Minister outlined today in this report is something of which the Irish people are rightfully proud. These operations and partnerships with countries that share our values give us more moral weight to play a stronger role in human rights defence and conflict resolution. I hope we do not drift into any kind of increased relationship with NATO, which we know has been responsible for operations that were not endorsed by the UN and which caused great devastation. I am, of course, referring to the war in Iraq. Overall, it is a positive report of which we are all very proud, but I have those concerns.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Does the Minister wish to respond before we invite another speaker to comment?

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Perhaps we can let members contribute generally.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the report and acknowledge the significant commitment of the members of the Defence Forces since we started taking part in UN peacekeeping, the number of people who have served in the Defence Forces through the UN and the members of their families, because their families have sacrificed much as well and give up much for the people who are overseas.

At this time of year in particular, we must acknowledge those members of the Defence Forces who are overseas on United Nations missions and remember their families who are without their loved ones at Christmas. I welcome the report. Everyone is proud of the commitment of the Defence Forces to the United Nations over the years.

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the publication of the report and acknowledge the wonderful international work of our peacekeepers. They are held in high regard and I welcome the Minister's indication that he will visit them again this year. It is important that they realise we do not forget about them and that, as a society, we value what they do. Can the Minister set out the types of humanitarian and community project in which members of the Defence Forces are engaged? There is a paragraph on the matter in the report. Such projects are key in areas of strife to assist communities to adjust to fragile and more sustained peace. To change a society from war-torn to peaceful is very challenging and I am curious about the types of project involved.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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I thank and commend our Defence Forces for their magnificent peacekeeping work abroad. I know from family members who have served in the Defence Forces that it is at times very risky. It is appropriate that all Members of the Oireachtas thank and commend the 438 members of the Defence Forces who will be abroad this Christmas. The Minister mentioned southern Lebanon, which he said was rather calm at the moment. Is it the view of the Minister and the Defence Forces that the area has stabilised over the last three to four months, particularly along the border with Israel? Are there any UN troops in the Gaza area who could become involved in peacekeeping and peace-making? If we want to bring peace to the area, we will need the support of UN troops on the ground to prevent violence. I would like to know the Minister's views. On the political side, does the Minister support the UN's two-state solution? It is important that we know the Government's views.

I am concerned about the 150 soldiers on stand-by for the German-Czech-Austrian battlegroup. I am one of those people who do not like the use of the word "battlegroup" in conjunction with the Defence Forces. What types of conflict will the Defence Forces be involved in as part of a battlegroup? The themes in the Minister's speech today involved local communities and humanitarian projects. I hope that is our political agenda. It is the agenda of the UN. Ireland is recognised as an impartial, neutral country which has contributed a great deal to international peace. Our soldiers are respected by all sides in any conflict and I would not like to see that change through an unnecessary involvement in battlegroups. Perhaps the Minister will enlighten me as to what they will be involved in.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Battlegroups are not up to anything. They are part of the European Common Security and Defence Policy and are in place to provide assistance in emergency peacekeeping, peace enforcement and humanitarian relief. It is important within the context of the EU, where we have common values and beliefs, that the Defence Forces will be equipped to respond appropriately to deal with humanitarian disasters and peacekeeping and peace enforcement issues. Battlegroups provide an opportunity for member state forces to work together in various compositions. There are 21 EU member states in NATO; the battlegroup concept provides for a degree of interaction and creates possibilities for interoperability and sharing and pooling of equipment. Co-operation needs to be developed and deepened to ensure that at a time of financial difficulty there is not an unnecessary duplication of resources in Europe in the defence area. The battlegroup concept is important and has nothing to do with our neutrality. It is about continuing to engage in Europe and to be seen to be available to assist when there are emergencies which require humanitarian interventions or where a European peacekeeping engagement emerges in some shape or form. I despair when this matter is constantly dug up as if our virgin neutrality is about to be violated. It is false nonsense and it gets tedious.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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The Minister is not helping the case by using the term "battlegroup".

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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It is tedious.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Who are we going into battle with?

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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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.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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I shall be brief. We are in agreement on his report but the Minister is a bit of an agent provocateur about the issue of EU battlegroups and neutrality. In case he thinks that Deputy Finian McGrath and I have joined some conspiracy theory organisation, I will read a quote from the Secretary General of NATO, Jaap De Hoop Scheffer: "EU Battle Groups could be used to go to war. Why did the EU create the Battle Group? It is not just to help rebuild a country. The Battle Groups are not for building schools. We should not think the EU is for soft power and NATO for tough power." We are not entirely among the conspiracy theorists.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I should resist the temptation to provoke my colleagues. There is an old legal phrase, res ipsa loquitur, which means "the thing speaks for itself". That is the perception of the Secretary General of NATO. It is not the perception of the European Union, nor is it the objective or purpose for which the battlegroups were formed. I suppose the Secretary General of NATO can have his personal view but that is not the foundation, base, purpose or objective of the groups, nor is it our objective.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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We thank the Minister for attending the meeting. I would like him to convey the appreciation of the committee members to the troops for Christmas and beyond. Seeing what goes on in other parts of the world - the slaughter, horror and suffering - makes us appreciate the peace in this part of the world. If our troops are playing a part in alleviating this, we can all be proud.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I take the opportunity to wish committee members a very peaceful Christmas and happy new year. I thank the select committee for the work done on defence and justice issues during the course of the year. I am very conscious that we have published a lot of legislation and reports in the past 12 months and that the committee has been put under enormous pressure as a consequence. I thank committee members and the Chairman, in particular, for the extraordinarily efficient way in which the committee has conducted its business, the constructive and helpful reports published and the contribution made to the legislation we have developed. Until the Government was created, the heads of important Bills were not regularly furnished to the committees in order that they could hold hearings and contribute to the legislative process. I hope committee members consider the new approach we have adopted is a positive one. I assure them observations made on legislation have been impacting on the final form of Bills published. It is no harm to record, even though we are dealing with defence issues at this meeting, that this is an historic day because two Bills for which the committee received the heads are completing their passage through the Dáil. Just before the lunch the passage was completed of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Bill, which will provide greater protection for children and vulnerable adults by ensuring those working with them will be properly vetted through the use not only of hard but also soft information. Effectively, it will create a criminal offence with bodies and organisations being required to ensure individuals are properly vetted prior to being employed. By 10.30 p.m. the passage of the Personal Insolvency Bill will have been completed. These are two major Bills to which the committee made a very positive and valuable contribution, for which it is appropriate that I thank members.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister. We all appreciate the challenge and engagement and the fact that we have an input into legislation prior to its publication. The committee is almost in continuous session. I also thank the Minister in this regard.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I can only promise to keep the Chairman under the same pressure in 2013.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for attending and wish him and his family and the officials at the Departments of Justice and Equality and Defence and their families all the best for Christmas and the new year.