Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)

I compliment the Minister for Defence for attending an important ceremony yesterday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Ireland's membership of the United Nations. The UN has a proud history and I think it will have a proud future. We should compliment the UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, and all those working with him. I also wish to compliment all the Irish troops for their participation in the forthcoming UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia. The situation is still very volatile there. Our thoughts are with them as they embark on an onerous, dangerous but very patriotic tour of duty.

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