Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

I move:

That Dáil Éireann approves the dispatch of Major General Pat Nash to the position of Operations Commander for the proposed EU military operation in the Republic of Chad and the Central African Republic with up to four support staff pursuant to section 2 of the Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1960, for service with the EU mission in support of MINURCAT, established on 25 September, 2007 under UN Security Council Resolution 1778 (2007) .

I thank Members for agreeing to take this motion at very short notice. In commending it to the House, I wish to briefly outline the background to the proposed EU operation in the Republic of Chad and the Central African Republic, which has been authorised by the United Nations Security Council, and Ireland's response to the EU's request to nominate an Irish officer to the prestigious post of operation commander.

On 25 September 2007, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1778 (2007) establishing a multi-dimensional UN mission in Chad and Central African Republic that will help strengthen security in the region. Resolution 1778 (2007) establishes the mission, to be known as MINURCAT, for a period of one year, with a mandate focusing on the security and protection of civilians, particularly refugees, internally displaced persons and civilians in danger, and on human rights and the rule of law in eastern Chad and the north east of the Central African Republic.

More than 170,000 displaced Chadians and 236,000 Sudanese refugees live in camps in eastern Chad. These people have fled from Janjaweed attacks, widespread banditry and criminality and clashes between rebel and Government forces on both sides of the porous Chad-Sudan border. As Deputies will be aware, there is a very serious situation in the Darfur region of Sudan, where a further UN-authorised mission operating under the authority of the African Union is currently deployed. The widespread conflict and attacks by factions within Sudan has resulted in significant disruption and dislocation of the local population leading to a significant refugee problem in neighbouring countries, particularly Chad and the Central African Republic. Allied to this, factions opposed to the current Chad Government have used Sudan as a base to launch attacks across the border into Chad causing further disruption to the local population and impeding the distribution of humanitarian aid. Moreover, in August 2007, serious flooding in eastern Chad washed out several camps and seriously hampered aid agencies' assistance to tens of thousands of people.

Since May 2007, there has been some improvement in Chad-Sudan relations and, in what seems to be a related development, the intensity of clashes between Government and rebel forces has reduced. Progress is also being made in the EU-facilitated inter-Chadian dialogue between the Government and the political opposition. In August 2007, the two sides signed an accord that establishes a new electoral framework designed to facilitate the holding of a legislative election by the end of 2009. The text also commits Chad's political parties to negotiation and dialogue with the armed opposition.

France has a close relationship with the Government of Chad and has long maintained a strategic military presence in that country. France's influence was crucial to securing the agreement of Chad to an EU military deployment under UN authorisation. Chad had previously refused to accept the military element of a UN mission, which was planned in February 2007, to address the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in the country.

Since early September, the crisis in Chad has been given greater prominence by the visit of the UN Secretary General, who was there to build support for the proposed multi-dimensional UN mission. Mary Robinson also led a well publicised visit to Chad's camps during the same period.

The situation in the Central African Republic is at least as challenging. Since 2005, an already fragile situation has been exacerbated by the spill-over of instability from Darfur and Chad, the activities of criminal gangs and an armed rebellion in the north west and north east. There are more than 180,000 internally displaced in the north east of the Central African Republic and further significant displacement in the northwest. The Central African Republic's armed forces and police are in need of urgent reform and strengthening to allow them to provide security and achieve improved human rights protection standards.

The authorities of Chad and the Central African Republic have welcomed a possible EU military presence in their respective countries. In early October 2007, a peace deal was initialled in Libya between the Chadian Government and four of the country's rebel groups. It is hoped that the parties will build on this agreement. The signing of the accord presents an opportunity for greater stability in the region and, with the deployment of the UN mission, an improved environment for assisting and protecting refugees and supporting the distribution of humanitarian aid. The EU mission to Chad will complement the planned UN-African Union hybrid mission being launched by the UN in Sudan-Darfur by limiting the spillover potential from the conflict in Sudan.

The multi-dimensional presence will consist of three components: UN mission, MINURCAT, composed of UN police, rule of law, human rights and other civilian officers; a special Chadian police-gendarmes unit — 850 strong — dedicated exclusively to maintaining law and order in refugee camps, sites with concentrations of internally displaced persons and key towns, and assisting in securing humanitarian activities in eastern Chad; and an EU military deployment under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.

UN Security Council Resolution 1778 authorises the European Union, under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, to deploy for a period of one year from the date that its initial operating capability is declared by the European Union in consultation with the Secretary General. The EU forces will be deployed to eastern Chad and the north east of the Central African Republic. The EU forces are authorised to support the United Nations and to take all necessary measures within its capabilities and its area of operation to fulfil the following functions: to contribute to protecting civilians in danger, particularly refugees and displaced persons; to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and the free movement of humanitarian personnel by helping to improve security in the area of operations; and to contribute to protecting United Nations personnel, facilities, installations and equipment and to ensuring the security and freedom of movement of its staff and United Nations and associated personnel. The UN element of the mission is targeted primarily at supporting the civil administrations in Chad and the Central African Republic to protect refugees and camps with the support of a UN police element and liaison officers.

The EU is planning to launch this operation as a matter of urgency. The intention is to have an initial operational capability on the ground in December, with the operation fully functional by the end of January next at the latest. The decision of the Council of the European Union to launch the mission is expected this week. The decision, which is referred to as a joint action, will identify the operation headquarters, the operation commander and the estimate of the common costs of the operation.

Ireland has been asked to provide the operation commander for the EU element of MINURCAT. The role of the commander is to manage the overall military operation and to provide the military interface among the military operation and MINURCAT, the EU and the UN. The EU procedure requires that the name of the operation commander be included in the Council decision to launch the operation. That decision is anticipated in the coming week. On 2 October 2007, the Government approved the nomination of Major General Pat Nash to the post. He, together with up to four support staff, will be based at the operation headquarters in Paris and, subject to Dáil approval and a decision by the Council of the European Union, will assume immediate leadership in the planning and launch of the operation.

The motion before the House is extremely limited in scope and relates solely to the dispatch of a member of the Permanent Defence Force as operation commander, together with a number of headquarters support staff. The nature of any further contingent of the Defence Forces to participate in this mission is being worked out and contingency planning for a possible contribution to the mission is ongoing. The proposed nature of such a contribution, and the basis of our current planning, is a contribution of approximately 300 to 350 personnel forming an APC mounted infantry battalion. However, this is purely a planning framework and is subject to further consideration and analysis, including risk assessment, by the Defence Forces. I assure the House that there is no commitment involved at this stage. However, to advance the planning framework, I have authorised the Chief of Staff to undertake a reconnaissance mission, including visits to the region and to the designated headquarters for the operation in Paris. The Defence Forces will also participate in the EU reconnaissance mission scheduled to depart for Chad later this week.

In the event that the Defence Forces can make a meaningful contribution to the mission and if it meets all the other criteria, including the risk assessment, force protection test and environmental assessment, I would then intend to quickly bring forward detailed proposals to Government. Assuming that the Government approves the deployment of a contingent, I will revert in due course to seek the further approval of Dáil Éireann for the dispatch of such a contingent in accordance with the requirements of the Defence Acts.

The costs associated with the nomination of the operation commander relate to the salary of the nominee and his replacement in the Defence Forces. These costs will be met from within existing resources. However, the costs of the overall EU operation and the proposed Irish deployment as part of this operation will be very significant. Chad is land-locked, extremely isolated and has little in the way of infrastructure, roads, rail or airports. As such, there will be a requirement to develop infrastructure to allow for deployment and resupply of missions. It is expected that the deployment and sustainment of the operation will have to be mainly by air. In addition, the provision of suitably equipped sites, airstrips, medical evacuation, etc., will all be costly due to the location and nature of the terrain.

All EU member states, irrespective of participation, will contribute to the common costs of the operation unless they specifically opt out of doing so at Council. Common costs are payable, in accordance with EU Council Decision of 17 June 2002, through the ATHENA mechanism, which is responsible at EU level for the collection of member states' contributions and disbursement of moneys received in respect of operational common costs. Each troop-contributing nation also meets its own "nation borne costs", while direct operational costs for members contributing personnel are met on a "costs lie where they fall" basis.

The estimate of the common costs of the operation remains under negotiation among the member states at the Council and an outcome is expected in the coming week. Under the gross national income key, which is used to determine member states' contributions, Ireland will contribute at the rate of 1.23% of assessed common costs. The full costs of our participation will become known over the coming weeks. Regardless of whether Ireland participates directly in the proposed EU mission, we will be faced with a significant financial cost. In the event that it is ultimately decided to participate with 300 to 350 troops in the mission, the combination of common costs and nation-borne costs may make this the most expensive mission ever undertaken by the Defence Forces. Unlike UN operations, there is no reimbursement from the EU for costs incurred in participation in the operation. However, the massive scale of suffering calls for a response. Affluent western countries, such as Ireland, have a duty to step up to the plate. We must not be found wanting when it comes to paying our share of the cost of supporting the United Nations in providing for the safety of and security for the innocent victims of conflict.

This is a very important mission for the EU and for Ireland. The post of EU operations commander is a very prestigious position. It is a recognition of the standing of the Defence Forces in the field of peace support operations generally. It also recognises the scale of our potential contribution to this particular operation. Holding this position would also contribute to ensuring that the quality and security of the proposed Irish contingent is maximised. It reaffirms Ireland's support for the UN and multilateralism in a meaningful and substantive way. I commend the motion to the House.

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