Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The missions conform perfectly with the Defence Acts. The interpretation of successive Attorneys General is that the word "established" in the Acts covers the scenario where the UN decides that a mission must be deployed abroad but regards it as more appropriate to ask the EU, NATO or the Organisation of African States to undertake it rather than put it together itself. The advice is the word "established" covers both scenarios.

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