Mr. Kieran Brennan:

That is a decision for politicians and the Government. I defer to them to make a proper judgment in that regard.

Irish people have a great fondness for Irish peacekeepers but sometimes do not fully understand the role we play overseas. They see us in our blue berets, blue flak jackets and white vehicles. When I was in Kosovo, we had none of that gear. We were in our national uniforms and were doing our jobs as if we were at home in Ireland. The same was true in Chad. Working with the UN and working with the European Union force, from the particular point of view of the people who are there, is no different.

If I could have one moment, I will share a comment with the committee. I visited a refugee camp on Christmas Day 2008 and on that occasion, I met a number of the refugees who had come out of Sudan. The Janjaweed militia had killed hundreds of people and destroyed families. I met one of the women who had survived that particular incident. I will always remember what she said to me through an interpreter. Talking about the Irish soldiers, she said that their presence restored her faith in men in uniform. I will leave it at that.