Michael Mulcahy (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)

I very much welcome this motion. I echo the Minister's statement that the European Union's appointment of an Irishman as operations commander for possible deployment in Chad and the Central African Republic is a great compliment to the Irish Defence Forces and nation. As the Minister stated, any decision to allow Irish participation in EU forces must be laid before the Dáil for a separate debate. It is very important to have such a debate and tease out all the logistical, geographical and financial problems that arise. I am very glad the Minister has committed to doing so today.

Chad is in central Africa and has a population of nine to ten million. It is largely desert, certainly in the north, and does not have a lot of water. It has been riven by internal strife and life expectancy is either 42 or 45 years, depending on whether one is male or female. The country is commonly referred to as the "dead heart of Africa". I can think of no place that presents more difficulties for an international force in terms of helping at refugee camps and other tasks. There will be a great many difficulties.

The public should be given as much information as possible on the deployment of troops. First, it should be informed that the choice of an Irish operations commander is an honour for our Defence Forces. If, at a later stage, the Dáil decides to approve a force to support MINURCAT, there should be a fairly extensive publicity campaign to inform the public. After all, the public's money and consent are required and it is the public's Defence Forces that would be sent on the mission.

When I was Lord Mayor of Dublin, I had the honour of bestowing an award on the last regiment of troops to leave Lebanon. There is great public pride in the Defence Forces and the Minister will share my view that the deployment of any Irish troops should be considered very carefully in terms of logistics, access, egress and the necessary safeguards.

The House should be aware that the region in question is a dangerous part of the world. Only a week ago there was an attack on the provisional African Union camp at Haskanita and it is quite possible that other relief operations will come under attack. The proposed hybrid mission, including the United Nations and African Union, should be in place at the same time as a full EU deployment of troops. The fundamental problem, which manifests itself in addition to those in Chad and the Central African Republic, is the conflict in Sudan. The longer the international community waits before taking action in Sudan, the longer there will be refugees crossing the borders into Chad and the Central African Republic. It would not be a good idea in the longer term if the international community dealt only with the effects of the problem rather than the core issue, that is, instability in Sudan.

I took the trouble to read the curriculum vitae of Major General Patrick Nash. He seems to be eminently qualified and I wish him every success. I have absolutely no doubt that he will do the Irish Defence Forces proud in his operations. I commend the Minister for putting this motion before the House.

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