Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

I will clarify the situation on deployment for Deputy Timmins. The first advance party, consisting of four specialist personnel will travel to Lebanon on 14 October, that is, next week, to make the necessary advance contacts at ports, airports and so on. The second advance party, consisting of 35 personnel, will deploy to Beirut on 24 October and the balance will leave on either 30 or 31 October.

I have no plans to increase the size of the Defence Forces. Under the White Paper for the reorganisation of the Defence Forces the personnel limit was reduced to 10,500 on the basis that we would equip and train them to the highest possible standard. When the mission in Liberia ends next year there will be further personnel available to partake in overseas duties.

My colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, generally speaks to ambassadors. I do not know of any discussions he may have had with the ambassadors mentioned but I will ask him and return to the Deputy on the matter. I will talk to the Minister for Foreign Affairs before deciding whether I should meet these representatives. I had one rather fraught meeting with the Israeli ambassador, accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the time four UN personnel were killed by Israeli munitions.

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